[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 1
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 2
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 1
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 2
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 3
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 1
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 2
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 3
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 4
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 5
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 1
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 2
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 3
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 4
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 5
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 6
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 7
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 1
[{"id":1,"title":"A Matter of Time","slug":"a-matter-of-time","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","updated_at":"2020-09-01 18:59:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":2,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 1","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-1","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 1 (Books One and Two)","blurb":"<p>Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect's assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won't give up no matter who is after him. But Jory's life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.<\/p>\n\n<p>While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective. And though Jory may survive the danger, he may not survive a broken heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 20:46:33","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:26:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":2,"order":1}},{"id":3,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Matter of Time Volume 2","slug":"a-matter-of-time-volume-2","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Vol. 2 (Books Three & Four)","blurb":"<p>Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another break up or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-28 22:23:00","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:28:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":3,"order":2}},{"id":36,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Bulletproof","slug":"bulletproof","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.<\/p>\n\n<p>After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren't delicate enough, Jory's undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.<\/p>\n\n<p>Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii... where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":36,"order":3}},{"id":25,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"But For You","slug":"but-for-you","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.<\/p>\n\n<p>Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam's ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won't let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that's the only way they're going to make it.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:29:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":25,"order":4}},{"id":46,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Parting Shot","slug":"parting-shot","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:49:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":46,"order":5}},{"id":82,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Piece of Cake","slug":"piece-of-cake","series_name":"A Matter of Time","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois. It’s been a long and rocky road, and nothing—not disasters at work, not the weather, not a possible stalker, not even getting beat up and having to attend the ceremony looking like he just got mugged—will make Jory wait one more day to make an honest man of the love of his life. Should be a piece of cake, right?<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2017-06-27 13:29:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":1,"book_id":82,"order":6}}]},{"id":13,"title":"Anthologies","slug":"anthologies","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:48:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":27,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wishing on a Blue Star","slug":"wishing-on-a-blue-star","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Brian Holliday, C. Zampa, Chrissy Munder, Clare London, D.W. Marchwell, Jaime Samms, Jan Irving, Mary Calmes, Moria McCain, Patric Michael, Taylor Lochland, Victor J. Banis","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em>A Special Project by Dreamspinner Press & <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlrbooks.com\/books.php\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(150, 191, 240); text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\">ManLoveRomance Press<\/a>. Edited by Kris Jacen<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>How much impact can someone have on your life if you’ve never met them face to face?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this electronic age of E-mails, electronic publishing, and social networks, quite a lot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Through his emails, stories and blog, author Patric Michael has touched numerous hearts, minds and lives from the start of his career and further as he now takes us along on his journey to battle cancer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Along the way, Patric shows us a side of life that not many truly see-- how we are all a part of something larger than just ourselves, and how we are each touched by others for the betterment of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, those that have been touched by Patric and his words have joined together to give something back, to him and to us all through something he values highly – words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In this compilation, gay short stories, poems, and anecdotes combined with excerpts from Patric's blog and a few entertaining, educational group posts reveal, and celebrate, the man who has touched so many hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This collection, sometimes erotic, sometimes irreverent, and always poignant, is a gift from all our hearts to celebrate Patric and give strength (and a little levity) to others. The price reflects this; no one is receiving royalties or payment from the sales. Use it to celebrate life, celebrate words, and possibly inspire someone who needs it.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2017-06-26 17:19:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":27,"order":1}},{"id":116,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Romanus & Chevalier","slug":"romanus--chevalier","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p><em><strong>Romanus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stopping to offer help one sultry summer night, Mason James is unprepared for the change that this simple act of kindness will bring. After giving an old man a ride home, Mason discovers a new, magical, and even dangerous world he cannot hope to understand. But he also finds Luc Toussaint and is intoxicated at first sight... and even the secret Luc protects won’t be enough to keep Mason away from the truth of his heritage and their love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em><strong>Chevalier<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Fireman Mason James thought finding out he is a Romanus—a rare class of gargoyle—would be the surprise of a lifetime, but he’s proven wrong when he discovers he is the son of a comte and goji nobility. But his newly discovered family doesn’t think his gargoyle lover, Luc, is good enough for a goji of Mason’s stature—how could a warrior ever be? But despite the Moreaus’ uncertainty and elitism, they are Mason’s only chance to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s death, find a solution for the class divide that might separate him from Luc, and discover what it truly means to be a Romanus.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:31:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":116,"order":2}},{"id":117,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mangrove Stories","slug":"mangrove-stories","series_name":"Anthologies","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"","blurb":"<p>Come to beautiful Mangrove, Florida, a tropical paradise where the days are hot, the nights are sultry, and love is in the air, carried by a blue ocean breeze. Don't miss these heartwarming romances by Mary Calmes.<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","updated_at":"2017-06-27 14:33:42","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":13,"book_id":117,"order":3}}]},{"id":15,"title":"Breaking Tradition","slug":"breaking-tradition","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:54:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":182,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Muscle and Bone","slug":"muscle-and-bone","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>You belong to me and I know it down deep, in muscle and bone, where my wolf lives.<\/p>\n\n<p>Avery Rhine isn’t an average homicide detective with the Chicago PD. In fact, Avery isn’t an average anything. Sure, as an omega he knows he’s at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s never slowed him down. He’s got a great life, complete with a loving family and a best friend who’d take a bullet for him, so what more could he possibly want or need? Except, maybe, for the world to change. And to find someone to spend more than one night with, but that isn’t high on his list of priorities. He’s never been one to believe in destiny or whatever else the fantasies sell about there being someone special out there meant just for him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then a chance encounter at a party changes everything.<\/p>\n\n<p>Graeme Davenport has no delusions about finding his true mate. The consensus is that if an alpha doesn’t find their other half by the time they’re thirty, the chances of it ever happening go from slim to none. He’s not a mere alpha, though; Graeme is a cyne who sits at the pinnacle of lupine hierarchy, so he’s obligated by tradition and duty to choose an omega now, sign a contract, and bond with him. Love is not part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Graeme and Avery meet, their fierce attraction to each other flies in the face of reason and logic. Avery’s intense physical reaction to the alpha is something he’s never experienced before, while Graeme, who has always been the soul of discretion, loses all his inhibitions to desire for the man he wants to possess. They are two very different men trying to navigate expectations, separate reason from innate primal drive, and do it while working together to solve a murder.<\/p>\n\n<p>It will take everything they are to find a middle ground, and to learn to trust in a fated kind of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-03-31 17:01:04","updated_at":"2022-04-15 22:58:28","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":182,"order":1}},{"id":185,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mist and Marrow","slug":"mist-and-marrow","series_name":"Breaking Tradition","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circ*mstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.<\/p>\n\n<p>When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.<\/p>\n\n<p>Trigger Warning: Discussion of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-04-15 22:56:58","updated_at":"2022-08-29 18:44:03","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":15,"book_id":185,"order":2}}]},{"id":2,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:05","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":32,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Change of Heart","slug":"change-of-heart","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a young gay man—and a werepanther—all Jin Rayne yearns for is a normal life. Having fled his past, he wants nothing more than to start over, but Jin’s old life doesn’t want to let him go. When his travels bring him to a new city, he crosses paths with the leader of the local were-tribe. Logan Church is a shock and an enigma, and Jin fears that Logan is both the mate he fears and the love of his life. Jin doesn't want to go back to the old ways, and mating would irrevocably tie him to them.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Jin is the mate Logan needs at his side to help him lead his tribe, and he won't give Jin up so easily. It will take time and trust for Jin to discover the joy in belonging to Logan and how to love without restraint.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:31:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":32,"order":1}},{"id":19,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trusted Bond","slug":"trusted-bond","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Rayne is having trouble adjusting to the new life he’s supposed to love. Instead of adapting to being the mate of tribe leader Logan Church, Jin can't get past the fact that his lover was straight before they met. He's discovered the joy in belonging to Logan but fears his new life could disappear at a moment’s notice, despite Logan's insistence that they are forever, end of story.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jin wants to trust Logan, but that desire will be put to the test both by a rival tribe leader and by a startling revelation about Jin's existence. At stake is Jin's life and his place in the tribe. If he's going to survive to see Logan again, he'll have to release his fear and freely accept the bond, for only then can he truly trust.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:32:01","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":19,"order":2}},{"id":103,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Honored Vow","slug":"honored-vow","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sequel to Trusted Bond Change of Heart: Book Three Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world. Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":103,"order":3}},{"id":62,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Crucible of Fate","slug":"crucible-of-fate","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes—he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: his normal leadership style isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhile juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love. Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:50:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":62,"order":4}},{"id":81,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Forging the Future","slug":"forging-the-future","series_name":"Change of Heart","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circ*mstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nLogan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:51:04","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":2,"book_id":81,"order":5}}]},{"id":14,"title":"Co-written","slug":"co-written","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:49:02","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":106,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Three Fates","slug":"three-fates","series_name":"Co-written","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Amy Lane, Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>For time immemorial, the goddesses of fate have decided which human threads will shine and which will be cut short. But even the fates have off days. Fate Delivers a Prince by Andrew Grey: Finding love shouldn’t be that difficult for a diplomat’s son, except Cheyenne is part of a grand tradition of werewolves, and a werewolf with a skin condition needs more help than most mortals. When Chay meets the prince of his dreams, it takes Clotho’s intervention to keep him from letting go. Jump by Mary Calmes: When two lovers die, their threads of life are collected instead of scattered, as one of them was the brother of a god. Can the fates reunite two lovers whose threads should have twined together for eternity? Or will Cassidy allow Raza’s interest to pass his pale, mortal self by? Believed You Were Lucky by Amy Lane: The gods’ meddling isn’t always welcome. It’s given Leif good luck but poor fortune, and Hacon a family curse he’s lived in fear of all his life. But when Leif’s good luck saves Hake’s life, Hake has to reevaluate everything he’s ever believed about luck, life, and love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:15:31","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":14,"book_id":106,"order":1}}]},{"id":3,"title":"House of Maedoc","slug":"house-of-maedoc","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:24","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":162,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Consort","slug":"his-consort","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: his quaint little store attracts a devoted staff and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He's perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying... and utterly mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The prince of the vampyrs, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason—until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he's never wanted a mate before... but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human's soothing influence on vampyrs has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic's dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-11-17 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2018-09-16 17:18:06","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:38:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":162,"order":1}},{"id":177,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Prince","slug":"his-prince","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jason Thorpe was content living a quiet life in New Orleans. He and his best friend Ode opened their cozy curios shop in the French Quarter, and he was making some new, albeit interesting, friends….<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Jason met Varic Maedoc, the prince of the vampyrs, and his life changed forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>Named the prince’s consort, Jason quickly became the most important subject in the vampyr realm, the man who holds the wolf of Maedoc’s heart—a position that comes with certain obligations and no small amount of influence. Theirs is a partnership of love and a lifetime commitment, but that bond is about to be tested when Varic must return to court and Jason accompanies him.<\/p>\n\n<p>The king’s court in Malta is unlike anything Jason could have imagined. Amidst the luxury and decadence of the palace is an air of danger and intrigue he is unprepared for, further complicated by new friends and allies who may not be what they seem. To stand beside and protect Varic, Jason must use every weapon in his arsenal to uncover a plot to usurp the king and reveal the identities of those who would see Jason dead before accepting him as their consort.<br \/>\nHis single greatest asset is the love of his prince, but even that may not be enough to save Jason’s life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-07-12 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-07-08 14:55:03","updated_at":"2020-11-11 19:19:34","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":177,"order":2}},{"id":194,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Realm","slug":"his-realm","series_name":"House of Maedoc","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasn’t kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the prince’s consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varic’s prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.<\/p>\n\n<p>While the separation doesn’t last, even Varic’s return won’t stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himself—again—fighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing he’s experienced in his human life, or the decadent court of the king, could’ve prepared him for the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king he’s always wanted to be, and it’s up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:45:08","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:48:40","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":3,"book_id":194,"order":3}}]},{"id":4,"title":"L'Ange","slug":"lange","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:01:58","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":20,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Old Loyalty, New Love","slug":"old-loyalty-new-love","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can't seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman's feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he's used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he's strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father's rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:14:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":20,"order":1}},{"id":38,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fighting Instinct","slug":"fighting-instinct","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L'Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he's ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It's not until Linus's past and Arman's crusade exposes their secrets and opens L'Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can't take. So he'll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L'Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":38,"order":2}},{"id":1,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Chosen Pride","slug":"chosen-pride","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L'Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn't have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then the wolves make an official visit to L'Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin's pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king's champion. Though Kelvin's training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it's no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château.<\/p>\n\n<p>It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L'Ange's family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-26 21:02:28","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:13:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":1,"order":3}},{"id":181,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Winter's Knight","slug":"winters-knight","series_name":"L'Ange","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p class=\"text-justify\">There is something in the forest around L’Ange that is making the animals nervous. In fact, they are running by Tucker Flynn’s windows at all hours of the night and day and no matter what anyone says, it isn’t normal. Of course, neither is Tucker being stuck on the sprawling grounds of the shifter sanctuary in Maine, in the dead of winter. He just wants to go back to<br \/>\nPhoenix . . . if only his alpha would let him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">Tired of his concerns being dismissed, or worse, told that he’s flat-out wrong, Tucker sets out on his own, despite a broken ankle, to find proof of his suspicion—that there’s an apex predator, something far more menacing than any shifter at L’Ange, skulking in the woods behind his cabin. When everything goes sideways during his search, and he ends up passing out while staring into the face of a giant elk, only to wake up days later on a bed of furs, gazing into the eyes of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, the course of Tucker’s life changes in an instant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"text-justify\">He has just found his mate. Now all he has to do is accept that he’s not the loser he’s always believed he was. Funny how quickly everything can shift, like day to knight.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-01-19 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:28:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":4,"book_id":181,"order":4}}]},{"id":5,"title":"Mangrove","slug":"mangrove","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:02:47","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":37,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Blue Days","slug":"blue-days","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nTakeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nWhen Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:52:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":37,"order":1}},{"id":39,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Quiet Nights","slug":"quiet-nights","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>It’s a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He’s got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz’s goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it’s a little lonely at night, but it’s a sweet deal, and Kelly can’t chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more—has always wanted more—with Coz.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Kelly’s past comes to town, bringing bad memories and hurt feelings that start to break Kelly down, and Coz just doesn’t understand why Kelly won’t let him be the support and strength that Kelly’s always been for him. They’ve already been through war, Coz’s devastating injury, and starting new careers in Mangrove, Florida. Why shouldn’t they face their chaotic pasts and build their future of quiet nights… together?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:54:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":39,"order":2}},{"id":84,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sultry Sunset","slug":"sultry-sunset","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:55:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":84,"order":3}},{"id":80,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Easy Evenings","slug":"easy-evenings","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Lazlo Maguire doesn’t do relationships—he does transactions. Six months of the year, he’s an expensive rent boy in Manhattan, and he moves so fast that settling down could not, would not, ever enter his mind… except for once. Britton Lassiter he meets man to man, not as hustler and mark, and it’s too good to be true when the lawyer wants to keep Lazlo even if he has to share him with the job.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lazlo has his reasons to walk away from the man he’s grown to love. The other six months of the year, he is laid-back Laz, a shopkeeper in the sleepy coastal town of Mangrove, Florida, where the artist he never allows himself to be in the Big Apple shines through. He lives for his time by the ocean, the place he hides his secrets and nurses his broken heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then fate intervenes, and Laz gets the surprise of his life when he spies Britton in Mangrove—but it’s not meant to be… not until Britton sees the change in him and wants to be a part of Laz’s new life so that every evening can be easy… together. Hopefully the secrets that tore them apart won’t come back to haunt them.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:56:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":80,"order":4}},{"id":73,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sleeping \u2019til Sunrise","slug":"sleeping-til-sunrise","series_name":"Mangrove","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.<\/p>\n\n<p>Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:57:27","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":5,"book_id":73,"order":5}}]},{"id":6,"title":"Marshals","slug":"marshals","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:08","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:03:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":41,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"All Kinds of Tied Down","slug":"all-kinds-of-tied-down","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:04:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":41,"order":1}},{"id":83,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fit to Be Tied","slug":"fit-to-be-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Marshals: Book Two Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?<\/p>\n\n<p>Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:11:18","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":83,"order":2}},{"id":12,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Up in Knots","slug":"tied-up-in-knots","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2021-01-19 18:14:37","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":12,"order":3}},{"id":156,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Together Tied","slug":"together-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":3.5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"A Marshals short story","blurb":"<p>Clicking the link for the book takes you out of www.marycalmes.com, to another website. If you would like to be added to Mary's email list, enter your name and email address in the form on the page, and you will receive an email with the free book.<\/p>\n\n<p>By claiming a book, you are accepting the Instafreebie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instafreebie.com\/about\/terms\" target=\"_blank\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. You will also receive free ebook recommendations and updates from Instafreebie in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n<p>By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Mary Calmes. Please consult Mary for further details including information on how to unsubscribe.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":1,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/GvzOug2z","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2018-02-19 17:28:45","updated_at":"2022-06-09 21:59:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":156,"order":4}},{"id":151,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Twisted and Tied","slug":"twisted-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.<\/p>\n\n<p>Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he's going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2018-03-08 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-12-23 14:10:24","updated_at":"2021-01-19 19:32:23","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":151,"order":5}},{"id":186,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Balanced and Tied","slug":"balanced-and-tied","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…<\/p>\n\n<p>Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.<\/p>\n\n<p>They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-08-31 20:58:25","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:49:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":186,"order":6}},{"id":192,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tied Over","slug":"tied-over","series_name":"Marshals","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.<\/p>\n\n<p>It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-11-30 23:04:39","updated_at":"2023-11-30 23:17:02","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":6,"book_id":192,"order":7}}]},{"id":12,"title":"Stand Alone Novellas","slug":"stand-alone-novellas","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:47:39","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":23,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Where You Lead","slug":"where-you-lead","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":23,"order":2}},{"id":26,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Servant","slug":"the-servant","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.<\/p>\n\n<p>As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:33","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":26,"order":3}},{"id":29,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just Desserts","slug":"just-desserts","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He's invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn't be happier.<\/p>\n\n<p>Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott's apartment or Scott's relatives. No, Boone's past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse, is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. Boone’s been in love before, but he’s never had faith. Finally, he just might have found that as well.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-11-30 22:51:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":29,"order":4}},{"id":30,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog","slug":"frog","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:27:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":30,"order":5}},{"id":49,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart of the Race","slug":"heart-of-the-race","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.<\/p>\n\n<p>Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:06:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":49,"order":6}},{"id":54,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Still","slug":"still","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>What happens when two men who have been together for seventeen years fall out of love? Sivan Cruz, a set director in San Francisco, and Walter Wainwright, a big shot Bay Area lawyer, find out the hard way. Walter loves Sivan with all his heart but rarely talks about it, and Sivan needs to hear the words. The language of the love they have shared for so long, that has enabled them to build a life together and raise two children, stops working. They become—still.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Sivan asks for a divorce, Walter doesn’t know how to say no. They separate, but while Sivan sees the relationship as over, Walter sees only a temporary setback. He has never lost his passion for Sivan and decides he has to say something before he ends up loving his husband in silence for the rest of his life.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:43","updated_at":"2023-04-14 03:10:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":54,"order":7}},{"id":56,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Ice Around the Edges","slug":"ice-around-the-edges","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved... if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:05:36","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":56,"order":8}},{"id":65,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Steamroller","slug":"steamroller","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:25:14","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":65,"order":9}},{"id":72,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Lay It Down","slug":"lay-it-down","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.<\/p>\n\n<p>Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:45","updated_at":"2023-06-23 16:39:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":72,"order":10}},{"id":98,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Any Closer","slug":"any-closer","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Charlie Ryder has a colorful past, painful memories, and an embarrassing secret. After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:23:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":98,"order":12}},{"id":100,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"What Can Be","slug":"what-can-be","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:36:20","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":100,"order":13}},{"id":104,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Again","slug":"again","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Exclusively in KU!","blurb":"<p>Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.<\/p>\n\n<p>Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2022-12-12 02:30:26","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":104,"order":14}},{"id":112,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Judgment","slug":"judgment","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jeritt Troy is a Scourge, a guardian tasked with patrolling cracks in time and righting the unspoken wrongs in history. His next task is a killer—not just for him, but for his husband and partner, Frost Ramsey, because Jeritt’s not just tracking a bad guy; he’s tracking his previous partner—his best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p>Brekin Creed is as deadly as he’s ever been, and when Jeritt finds himself both abandoned and stranded in time, he has only a handful of years to figure out what went wrong with Brekin and, in doing so, save Frost’s life. Is there time enough for Jeritt to save Frost, or will he be locked in the judgment of his mistakes for eternity?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:03:13","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":112,"order":15}},{"id":148,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Kairos","slug":"kairos","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.","blurb":"<p>Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….<\/p>\r\n","excerpt":"","genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":"","free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-12-15 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-11-06 20:21:13","updated_at":"2019-06-18 16:03:57","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":148,"order":16}},{"id":168,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Frog (Manga)","slug":"frog-manga","series_name":"Stand Alone Novellas","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow—he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-02-03 15:34:17","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:27:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":12,"book_id":168,"order":17}}]},{"id":11,"title":"Stand Alone Novels","slug":"stand-alone-novels","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","updated_at":"2020-09-02 22:45:01","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":4,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"You Never Know","slug":"you-never-know","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way until that all changes when he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business to where it will thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear that the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and Hagen went off to war, and they have not talked since. <\/p>\n\n<p>Mitch needs to show Hagen he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go if Hagen’s going to trust him again. It’s going to take more than a simple “Hey, honey, I’m home.” They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not diving into a relationship with Mitch again. Then again, you never know.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-07-21 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:37:47","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":4,"order":1}},{"id":21,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Floodgates","slug":"floodgates","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:32:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":21,"order":2}},{"id":34,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Guardian","slug":"the-guardian","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jude Shea's life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn't even have a job—he can't resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude's new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that "Joe" is not what he seems.<\/p>\n\n<p>Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he's faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:33:54","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":34,"order":3}},{"id":94,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Acrobat","slug":"acrobat","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:07:35","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":94,"order":4}},{"id":97,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Mine","slug":"mine","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!<\/p>\n\n<p>It just might.<\/p>\n\n<p>Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:47","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:08:17","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":97,"order":5}},{"id":175,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Stand in Place","slug":"stand-in-place","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>One summer won’t be enough….<\/p>\n\n<p>Kaenon Geary was done fighting the small minds in his sleepy Texas town when he made his escape and never looked back. But now, for the first time in more than a decade, he’s returned to Braxton to spend the summer with his beloved grandmother—her final summer—and no longer recognizes the home he’d left behind all those years ago. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything has changed. <\/p>\n\n<p>Everything but the man he’s never stopped wanting. <\/p>\n\n<p>Brody Scott was the local football hero who became a gridiron champ, but he retired from the fast lane to forge a new life as the Chief Constable of Braxton. He longs to put down roots in the community he is now sworn to protect. Though he’s not at all sure he can protect his heart from the quiet, earnest boy he once knew. The boy who has come back a man.<br \/>\nStarting something would be a mistake. Kaenon plans to fly away at summer’s end, but his love is something Brody desperately wants to have…and to keep. Their days together are numbered. Unless some simple hometown magic can make all the right things bloom and show them the true definition of love. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2019-07-19 10:03:05","updated_at":"2023-04-24 19:51:39","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":175,"order":6}},{"id":176,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"More Than Life","slug":"more-than-life","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasn’t supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But there’s a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. There’s a dead man on Hart’s property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that weren’t enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.<br \/>\nAnd, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.<\/p>\n\n<p>Everything Hart has built is unraveling.<\/p>\n\n<p>The life Hart wants doesn’t work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morgan’s heart—as well as his bed—is almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.<br \/>\nIf Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life he’s worked so hard to build?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-03-25 12:03:38","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:34:43","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":176,"order":7}},{"id":183,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Scratch The Surface","slug":"scratch-the-surface","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n\n<p>Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.<\/p>\n\n<p>When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2021-06-25 20:52:22","updated_at":"2021-07-07 17:21:11","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":183,"order":9}},{"id":190,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Woods of the Raven","slug":"woods-of-the-raven","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Something wicked this way comes\u2026and it might be too late to stop it.","blurb":"<p>Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive…<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-04-18 21:17:53","updated_at":"2023-04-27 15:19:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":190,"order":10}},{"id":191,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wayward","slug":"wayward","series_name":"Stand Alone Novels","series_pos":0,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?<\/p>\n\n<p>It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-08-01 15:22:24","updated_at":"2023-10-13 14:34:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":11,"book_id":191,"order":11}}]},{"id":8,"title":"The Vault","slug":"the-vault","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:52:00","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":5,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"A Day Makes","slug":"a-day-makes","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.<\/p>\n\n<p>But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-29 21:40:57","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:27:05","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":5,"order":1}},{"id":142,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Late in the Day","slug":"late-in-the-day","series_name":"The Vault","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.<\/p>\n\n<p>The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2017-10-23 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-25 11:54:28","updated_at":"2021-02-15 22:55:15","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":8,"book_id":142,"order":2}}]},{"id":7,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:04:32","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":11,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Timing","slug":"timing","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"2nd Edition","blurb":"<p>Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. <\/p>\n\n<p>But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well. <\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":1,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2023-01-12 17:36:38","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":11,"order":1}},{"id":35,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"After the Sunset","slug":"after-the-sunset","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate—despite the risk to his health—and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:42","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:10","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":35,"order":2}},{"id":118,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"When the Dust Settles","slug":"when-the-dust-settles","series_name":"Timing","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Second Edition with added content","blurb":"<p>Glenn Holloway’s predictable life ended the day he confessed his hom*osexuality to his family. As if that wasn’t enough, he then poured salt in the wound by walking away from the ranch he’d grown up on, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. Without support from his father and brother, and too proud to accept assistance from anyone else, he had to start from scratch. Over time things worked out: Glenn successfully built a strong business, created a new home, and forged a life he could be proud of.<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his success, his estrangement from the Holloways is still a sore spot he can’t quite heal, and a called-in favor becomes Glenn’s worst nightmare. Caught in a promise, Glenn returns to his roots to deal with Rand Holloway and comes face-to-face with Mac Gentry, a man far too appealing for Glenn’s own good. It could all lead to disaster—disaster for his tenuous reconnection with his family and for the desire he didn’t know he held in his heart.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-07-01 16:11:54","updated_at":"2024-05-21 18:31:55","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":7,"book_id":118,"order":3}}]},{"id":9,"title":"Torus Intercession","slug":"torus-intercession","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:05:30","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":170,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"No Quick Fix","slug":"no-quick-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>A retired SEAL is about to face his toughest assignment yet. As a nanny…<\/p>\n\n<p>Fixer. Bodyguard. Advocate. Brann Calder is expected to play all these roles and more as a member of Torus Intercession, a security firm guaranteed to right what’s wrong. In the military, catastrophe was his specialty. Five months out of the service, Brann is still finding his way, so a new assignment might be just what he needs. Unless it includes two things sure to make a seasoned, battle-trained veteran nervous: life in a small town, and playing caregiver to two little girls.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery Dodd is drowning in the responsibility of single fatherhood. He’s picked up the pieces after losing his wife and is ready to move on now, hopeful that his engagement to a local patriarch’s daughter will not only enrich his community but will grant his daughters some stability too. <\/p>\n\n<p>The only thing standing in Emery’s way is that he can’t seem to keep his eyes—and hands—off the former soldier he’s hired to watch his girls until the wedding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Emery’s future is riding on his upcoming nuptials, but being with Brann makes him and his family feel whole again. Too bad there’s no way for them to be together.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or is there?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2019-03-19 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2019-03-14 19:57:35","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:39:44","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":170,"order":1}},{"id":178,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"In a Fix","slug":"in-a-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>How can a man unaware of his own worth ever hope to value anyone else…<\/p>\n\n<p>Croy Esca is a fixer at Torus Intercession, paid to guard, advocate for, and help those in need of the services his boss, Jared Colter, provides. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to expend the energy to invest himself in the people he’s assigned to help. Professionally, Croy goes in, gets the job done, and doesn’t allow for anything that might resemble interest—which mirrors the way he handles his personal life as well. He’s been described as aloof, apathetic, and incapable of feeling anything approaching empathy despite his boss’s continual mentoring.<\/p>\n\n<p>Those lessons aren’t easily learned, though, when you’ve been taught that you’re expendable.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy is assigned to act as bodyguard to a billionaire during a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, he expects another in and out job made all the more tedious by the company he’ll be keeping, and his loathing of Sin City. What he ends up with, however, is far more than he bargained for.<\/p>\n\n<p>FBI Special Agent Dallas Bauer is good at what he does, some might even say he’s consumed by his work, to the point of insomnia and at the cost to anything resembling a full life. Hit it and quit it is Dallas’s grind. Then Croy Esca comes crashing into his life, and it doesn’t take long before he’s struck by how desperate he is to make sure the fixer doesn’t become the one that got away.<\/p>\n\n<p>When Croy’s assignment evolves into something so much more dangerous and complicated than he could have ever predicted, and his and Dallas’s lives collide, the fixer finds himself in a fix. One Croy is not altogether sure he wants to escape.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2020-08-25 11:56:00","updated_at":"2021-03-09 20:56:21","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":178,"order":2}},{"id":180,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Fix It Up","slug":"fix-it-up","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How will a man who doesn\u2019t believe in fairy tales ever hope to recognize when he\u2019s found the love of a lifetime?","blurb":"<p>Locryn Barnes knows what it means to be a fixer for Torus Intercession. Torus is the place that people in need turn to for everything from bodyguards to chaperones, and God knows Loc is the kind of man who’d rather play human shield against a bullet than spend even a moment of his life as a glorified babysitter. Which is why he tells a prospective client, in no uncertain terms, that he’s not the right fixer for the job when Torus is tapped to play what amounts to a life coach for a spoiled, burned out, fresh-out-of-rehab rock star.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nick Madison has been living on the edge since he was seventeen—drugs, booze, men, women . . . you name it, Nick has done it. Now, at twenty-six, aimless and on the verge of losing everything, he can’t seem to give a damn. When he wakes up one afternoon, hungover and strung out, to find a stranger in his house ordering everyone around like he owns the place, Nick is sure he’s woken up in his own little corner of purgatory. When he realizes why Locryn Barnes has invaded his life, Nick is determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all from the walking, talking definition of infuriating.<\/p>\n\n<p>Through weeks of recovery, of rebuilding his life and facing his past, Nick comes to realize that Loc is not the enemy. Nick has met every challenge and is finally ready to spread his wings and fly, but not alone, which means another daunting challenge to face. Now, Nick needs to convince the fixer that the rock star is his happily-ever-after. Which could prove to be Nick’s biggest challenge yet.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":"2020-10-20 00:00:00","active":1,"created_at":"2020-10-20 16:03:12","updated_at":"2021-03-25 21:04:16","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":180,"order":3}},{"id":184,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Fix Is In","slug":"the-fix-is-in","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"How can a man who doesn\u2019t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?","blurb":"<p>It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-01-03 17:29:08","updated_at":"2022-04-19 17:45:56","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":184,"order":4}},{"id":188,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"The Big Fix","slug":"the-big-fix","series_name":"Torus Intercession","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":"Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.","blurb":"<p>Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.<\/p>\n\n<p>With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-12-01 02:49:08","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:45:19","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":9,"book_id":188,"order":5}}]},{"id":10,"title":"Warders","slug":"warders","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","updated_at":"2020-09-01 19:06:15","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":59,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"His Hearth","slug":"his-hearth","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Julian Nash should be excited: he’s just earned a huge promotion at work and is going out to celebrate. But his happiness fades when he discovers his date cheating on him an hour before. Suddenly alone when everyone knows he’s supposed to have a plus one, Julian is set for a long night until longtime acquaintance Ryan Dean bails him out of the embarrassing situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">During dinner, they discover they have more than just friendship between them: there is mutual admiration and heated attraction. But getting to know Ryan better—and finding a place in his life—will bring Julian frightening surprises and supernatural danger he never expected or dreamed existed.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:58:48","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":59,"order":1}},{"id":63,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Tooth & Nail","slug":"tooth-nail","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Nineteen-year-old Dylan Shaw is possibly the most beautiful thing Malic Sunden has ever seen. After Malic rescues Dylan from an attack, Dylan makes it very clear that he is more than interested, but Malic won’t even consider sleeping with Dylan because of his age. Malic is sure he’s not good enough for Dylan, who has his whole life ahead of him, and can’t conceive of burdening Dylan with his secrets. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">But the darkness in Malic’s life won’t be denied, and soon Dylan is drawn into the dangerous paranormal world that is Malic’s reality. Malic fights tooth and nail to push Dylan away, to keep him safe… no matter that Dylan is the key to Malic’s strength and the only hope for his future.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 22:59:29","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":63,"order":2}},{"id":64,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Heart in Hand","slug":"heart-in-hand","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":3,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Simon Kim is very much in love with Leith Haas, but Leith is a Warder. His job—hunting demons—is dangerous and important, and Simon doesn’t want to distract the man he loves more than life with the small stuff. But he doesn’t quite get that when a Warder takes a Hearth, the Warder gives his heart without reservation. When Leith claimed Simon, Leith bared his soul, leaving himself vulnerable before the only man he’s certain he’ll ever love. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">When Simon is sucked further into Leith’s perilous world—and into an alternate dimension—Simon realizes that the only strength he can give his Warder is the strength of his love. Can Simon sacrifice the control he has come to treasure for the man who already owns his soul?<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:00:06","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":64,"order":3}},{"id":61,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Sinnerman","slug":"sinnerman","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":4,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">As a warder, Jackson Tybalt is one of the good guys until he sees the man he loves kissing another. Betrayed and angry, Jackson tempts danger and death, ignoring the pleas of other warders to be careful. It’s a vile mood in which to start a romance, but that doesn’t stop the kyrie Raphael, who more than anything wants Jackson for his very own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Jackson doesn’t want a hearth, he doesn’t want a lover—he just wants dark and painful, and Raphael will give him what he wants. But sometimes the sins of the flesh are just what a body needs to bandage the wounds of the heart, and Raphael will hide the tenderness he feels for Jackson for as long as the warder wears the guise of the Sinnerman.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:44","updated_at":"2020-11-14 23:01:08","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":61,"order":4}},{"id":88,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Nexus","slug":"nexus","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":5,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Marcus Roth is an accomplished criminal attorney by day and a demon-slaying warder by night, but he is merely one of five in his clutch—of no real significance to anyone but his hearth, Joseph Locke.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Or so Marcus believes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief is challenged when Marcus stumbles upon a paranormal crime and ends up revealing his warder identity to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus puts his own needs aside to save his friends—though in doing so, he risks losing the man he loves forever.<\/span><br style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\" \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Surviving the battle may not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself for forsaking his hearth. He will come to learn what it means to be the center, the nexus, and that neither his hearth nor his clutch can thrive without him.<\/span><\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:46","updated_at":"2020-09-01 21:38:07","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":88,"order":5}},{"id":110,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Cherish Your Name","slug":"cherish-your-name","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":6,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":null,"publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>As a warder, Malic Sunden knows hell—it’s in the job description—but that was before he agreed to spend the holidays with his hearth’s family.<\/p>\n\n<p>Turns out that decision will be a special kind of hell all its own.<\/p>\n\n<p>Malic loves Dylan, without question. But the Shaws, Dylan’s family, they’re another story altogether. It seems the warmth of the season doesn’t extend to their son’s much older boyfriend. They think Malic is a cradle-robber and that Dylan can’t possibly be serious about this relationship, especially when they see their son spending much more time with his friends than he does with Malic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Knowing that he’s been excluded and will have to confront some truths with Dylan sooner rather than later, Malic retreats, offering to do odd jobs around the house, anything that will keep him from having to interact with the family. When he meets Brad, the guy next door, it gives Malic an excuse to have a little fun of his own. But Brad may have more than a friendly night out in mind. And Dylan has a few opinions about that.<br \/>\nThe bond between a warder and his hearth is sacred, it is soul deep. As Malic is pulled into a web of danger and deceit, the one thing that will save him, the only thing, is the name of the man he cherishes.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2017-05-30 18:26:48","updated_at":"2020-12-08 21:43:45","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":110,"order":6}},{"id":189,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Trick Of Light","slug":"trick-of-light","series_name":"Warders","series_pos":7,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novel","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>Jackson Tybalt is living his best life even though, to others, it might sound a little odd. For starters, Jackson’s a warder. Duty bound to patrol the city of San Francisco, doing battle with demons and things that go bump in the night. Second, Jackson’s married to an ex-demonic bounty hunter.<\/p>\n\n<p>Raphael Caliva isn’t quite a man, more of a creature, with a very normal job as a general contractor, which he really loves. But what Raphael loves most, though, is Jackson. So much so that he's sealed his fate to Jackson’s. If one dies, so does the other. No muss, no fuss.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first of the surprises Jackson receives when he and his fellow warders meet one cold afternoon in February. Turns out, a blood witch they believed they’d vanquished has returned, intent on revenge. Nothing is as it seems, and now Jackson and the others have to prepare to fight not only an elusive enemy, but also the fatal curse she imparted.<\/p>\n\n<p>But sometimes, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. More a trick of light than life and death. Or is it?<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2023-03-01 16:33:02","updated_at":"2023-03-01 16:39:30","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":10,"book_id":189,"order":7}}]},{"id":16,"title":"With George","slug":"with-george","tagline":null,"description":null,"pinterest_link":null,"playlist_link":null,"playlist_embed":null,"active":true,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:16:27","deleted_at":null,"books":[{"id":187,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Just George","slug":"just-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":1,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":null,"publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.<\/p>\n\n<p>What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":"https:\/\/claims.prolificworks.com\/free\/igE0SDBN","featured":0,"new_release":0,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2022-10-12 19:22:53","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:18:24","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":187,"order":1}},{"id":193,"language":"en","translator":null,"title":"Wintering with George","slug":"wintering-with-george","series_name":"With George","series_pos":2,"subtitle":null,"author":"Mary Calmes","length":"novella","publisher":"Mary Calmes","publisher_link":null,"tagline":null,"blurb":"<p>George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps. But if he’s careful and does everything right, perhaps they’ll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe he’ll discover that a family is something worth having after all.<\/p>","excerpt":null,"genres":null,"tags":null,"author_notes":null,"free":0,"free_link":null,"featured":0,"new_release":1,"coming_soon":0,"coming_soon_date":null,"active":1,"created_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","updated_at":"2024-05-01 21:32:50","deleted_at":null,"pivot":{"series_id":16,"book_id":193,"order":2}}]}]
Book 2
