Böcker utgivna av Ninestar Press, LLC

The responsibilities Nathan has taken on are sometimes daunting, even as he loves his job. Always ready to rise to the occasion, he is both respected and feared in the office and in the field. His rise to quiet power has shaped his very being, and he knows each and every move as he plots his days and watches over his agents. His life has shaped him into a loner, however, and that is never more noticeable than when Eli begins work in Department 5.Eli is not the typical Department 5 recruit, and his cheerful and polite nature is both intriguing and off-putting to Nathan. But as Eli weakens and breaks through Nathan''s walls, they gradually embark on a path of discovery and a relationship that defies both of their assumptions. It is by times quirky and odd, sometimes a little rough around the edges, always a bit fragile. But secrecy, lies, plots, and executions are Nathan''s job, and life-and some habits are hard to break. Finally, the tension their work holds can no longer be contained or ignored, and it threatens to destroy either themselves or all that they''ve found together.Turn is a story about power, tough choices, and strategic moves-of knowing when to sacrifice a piece in this ongoing game of chess, sticking by your actions, and knowing what the endgame is-no matter what the personal cost. Most importantly, it''s about life''s hardest lesson. Sometimes love isn''t all that you need, and the wants of our hearts aren''t always enough to overcome who we are and the realities of life.

Alexandria Van Kirk has always been a slave to her romantic nature. When a night of liquid courage lands her in bed with one of her best friends, Alex is confronted by a host of feelings that terrify her. Feelings about her friend and, unexpectedly, a barista from her favorite café.It''s a tug of war between heart and body. Desire against all her daydreams of someone to share silence, sunsets, and coffee with.But Alex''s past is also about to catch up with her. Tortured memories and the girl they''re all about. It''s like fighting the pull of a whirlwind. A surefire losing battle. But embracing a newfound romance amid the return of an old flame is a precarious balance, one not even Alex herself is sure she can manage.How the hell does she choose between the girl she loves and the one she could never confess loving to begin with?

Owen Douglas, Sacramento''s first out battalion chief, is grievously injured in the line of duty. When Brad Sundstrom finds out that Owen''s been noncompliant with his physical therapy due to depression, he pushes Owen into the Capital City Rowing Club''s adaptive rowing program.Adam Lennox, a former collegiate rower, escapes an abusive relationship and makes his way to CCRC and quickly finds himself dragooned into helping out with adaptive rowing.Owen, much to his surprise, finds both rowing and Adam much to his liking. When he realizes that Adam returns his interest, the sparks fly and they start a relationship. But even Eden has its snake, and Adam''s ex, Jordan, comes looking for him, willing to do anything to make Adam and Owen pay.

The Braided Crop Ranch is looking for stable hands. But this is no ordinary horse ranch. They cater to men with a certain interest. An interest involving harnesses, tails, and trainers.Managed and expertly run by registered psychologist, Adam Marsland, the Ranch is a safe place for the expression of sex positive and kink positive needs and fantasies.Jensen Moriarty is desperate for a job. He can handle horses. In fact, he''s a pro at it. Too bad the BCR doesn''t deal with real horses. But they do have "ponies".If Jensen can wrap his head around what the BCR actually stands for, he may have the opportunity to expand his resumé and experience something completely unexpected in the process.

Hearts of FireLuca Duray has been quite happy living a solitary existence for decades. But when a steel trap around his leg catches him when he''s weak and hungry, his life is irrevocably changed. Disowned by his pack for being gay, Tanner McBane is forced to become a lone wolf. While on a hunt, he stumbles upon an injured dragon shifter and provides aid. Soon, Tanner learns Luca isn''t just his boss-he''s his mate.The mating of a wolf and dragon shifter is uncharted territory for both Luca and Tanner, but they are determined to make it work despite widespread prejudice, death threats, and the untraditional pack Tanner finds himself leading. Hearts of BloodOmega wolf shifter, Vance, and the rest of his small pack have finally found an Alpha willing to take them on and were still trying to regain their footing when the McBane Pack attacked them. When a vampire appears in front of him, Vance realizes he''s looking into the ice-blue eyes of his mate, and the fact that his mate is something other than wolf scares him.Unfortunately for Vance and Sakima, the vampire coven and the continued attacks by the McBane Pack are only a portion of their problems. Hearts of MagicA moment of quiet was all Theran was looking for. He was not looking to be nearly decimated when he stumbled across a sorcerer near the pack''s hunting grounds. Colby hides his paranormal identity well, but learning the wolf he''s been dreaming about is real is only compounded by learning the wolf is his mate.With the Sorcerer''s Enclave now interested in the Chevalier Pack, Colby attempts to protect Theran by kidnapping him, which only results in a deeper involvement with the pack. Hearts of DestinyEan and Matthias have known they''re mates for a while, but Matthias has been unwilling to claim Ean. Depressed and no longer able to be near the dragon-shifter, Ean leaves the pack house and, after a night of heavy drinking, makes a life-changing decision that pushes Matthias into action.As the blood moon draws nearer, the Chevalier Pack is called before a tribunal of paranormal leaders to assess the Alpha''s rumored mysterious abilities. Matthias decides to share his secrets with a little help from Colby. And to top everything off, they face another attack by the McBane Pack, which the Chevalier decide will be the last.

Meg Mitchell is about to enter her final year of secondary school in the small close-knit village of Tullybawn in rural Ireland. But even at eighteen, she has never had the joyful experience of first love with any of the boys she has met or gone out with.However, that''s about to change with the arrival of dynamic young English teacher, Harriet Smith. Under the charismatic Harriet, Meg blossoms and discovers that she has a real talent for English. She also finds herself inexplicably drawn to Harriet.Over time, Meg''s feelings deepen, but this is 1970s Ireland where homosexuality is still a crime, where sex of any description is never discussed, and where an all-powerful harsh and repressive Catholic Church holds sway over every aspect of family life.In this climate, Meg will face many challenges, from her family, her community, and her own desires. She will have to choose a path forward despite difficulties that, at times, seem insurmountable.

Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills would be necessary for a problem so personal to him and his family.A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people-the magical Talent allowing them to change into dragons-and therefore their kingdom itself remain safe. The delegation is concerned for Corentin, an Ivrian, and the man Griffen''s older brother is soon to marry.The Ivrians seem to want to drag Corentin back to Ivria for the offense of revealing their secret, but Griffen refuses to let it happen. His determination puts him into contact-and conflict-with Kirill, a negotiator for the king of Ivria who possesses the dragon Talent himself. The two clash and connect, getting closer and pulling away as they try to negotiate the needs of their people and an unwanted attraction between themselves. However, just as trust might be growing between them, a plot is uncovered and a member of the Ivrian delegation murdered. Griffen and Kirill must discover who is behind both for the safety of their countries and the people they love...and for a chance to be together.

Lili is a Mesopotamian siren, and life as an immortal being is hard enough as it is. She''s asexual (which is incredibly difficult to reconcile if your entire point as a mythical being is to seduce people to death). She''s also struggling with depression from being alive for so long.Lili is an absolutely shoddy improv-detective trying to track down a serial killer so ruthless that it makes even her murderous soul uneasy. However, there''s something larger at work than just one serial killer. A small town is hiding an even deadlier, global-scale secret. Forget Area 51 conspiracies. This one beats them all. With magic.So, what better way to spice up her eternal life than being hired as a vigilante detective to stop a serial killer? Anything, literally anything. She''d trade her left lung to get out of this. Or, perhaps, somebody else''s.

Sean and Austin have the perfect life. Their new relationship is only made more joyous by weekend visits from Sean''s eight-year-old son, Jason.And then their perfect world shatters.Jason is missing.When the boy turns up days later, he has been abused and has lost the power to speak. Small town minds turn to the boy''s gay father and his lover as the likely culprits. Sean and Austin struggle to maintain their relationship amid the innuendo and the threat that Sean will lose the son he loves. Meanwhile, the real villain is close to home, intent on ensuring the boy''s muteness is permanent.

After losing his partner Toby, Chase faces a long, painful road back to life and love.At first, he doesn''t see how he can go on, but then Chase and Toby''s old friend Mike cajoles him into returning to Chicago for the annual International Mr. Leather Competition. There Chase revisits a world of hot, casual sex that he had forgotten existed, meets a friend who cares more for him than he ever realized, and discovers the possibility that he just might be able to move on without betraying the memory of his late partner.Will Chase find his way back once more to life? To love? And will he find that place he''s been missing? Home. You''ll have to experience the heartrending journey firsthand to find out.

Nick Bedford coaches the men''s rowing team at California Pacific College, a small liberal arts school in Sacramento. He''s quiet, dedicated-and closeted. He struggles with professional ethics and NCAA rules as he denies his attraction for Morgan Estrada, one of his rowers. While they may not be far apart in age, the difference between coach and athlete leads Nick to worry about exploitation.But Morgan has desires and a mind of his own, and what he wants is his coach. As the spring racing season advances, Morgan feels his coach''s eyes on him. Morgan may be gay, and while he''s not out to team, he hasn''t hidden it, either. It may be a coach''s job to check out an athlete''s form, but Morgan hopes Nick''s interested in more than his technique.Morgan corners Nick in the boathouse, and Nick admits that while he wants Morgan he can''t have him. Morgan laughingly points out that he''s not bound by any of those rules and he wants Nick. Nick and Morgan start a relationship, but Nick worries whenever they''re in public: what if someone sees? An anonymous complaint from a rower to the athletics director sends Nick''s worries into overdrive just as the crew prepares for the make-or-break race of the year.

Dragon ConsultantDane, a supernatural consultant, is hired by the FAA to look into a series of reported dragon attacks on their planes. What Dane finds in the wooded area where the attacks took place is not quite the problem he expected: a group of dragon kits and their sick father hiding from the authorities.When he learns the real reason the family was in the woods, his case grows more dangerous, and though Dane is experienced at both crime solving and watching his own back, taking care of baby dragons and their ill father makes everything else look easy.Dragon DeceptionA life full of children and mysteries to solve doesn''t leave much time for relaxation or each other, something Lumie wants to help fix for Dane and Mercury by way of arranging a picnic. But good intentions and life rarely cooperate, and Dane knows it''s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose.Hell turns out to be someone using Quicksilver''s name to destroy buildings, but there''s no way to tell whether the enemy is an impostor or a trap. Hopefully it won''t mean missing the picnic.Dragon DilemmaDane hasn''t spoken with his mother in years and he''s never met his father. But somehow his mother finds out about Mercury and the kits anyway, and it''s difficult to throw one''s mother out when she happens to be a powerful, dangerous witch.She isn''t the only uninvited guest, and the others are even less likely to take no for an answer-and much more likely to leave everyone dead if they don''t get what they want.

Savarin honed his Talent through years of study, and to achieve his goal of becoming the most powerful and accomplished sorcerer in Tournai, he made magic his life. Among the wealthy and noble circles he moves in, no one would suspect the handsome, refined, arrogant sorcerer''s humble beginnings-which is how Savarin prefers it. He wants to be seen only as the man he''s made himself. When Tournai''s princes task Savarin with studying and strengthening the spells that protect the principality from magical attack, he is more than happy to do so. The spells are complex, centuries old, and exactly the type of puzzle Savarin is eager to solve. But to his annoyance, the princes insist Loriot accompany him on his journey.Second son of a minor noble family, Loriot worked his way up the ranks of the royal guard to captain with single-minded determination and takes pride in his service to the crown. He must obey the prince''s orders to protect Savarin, despite believing his skills would be best used elsewhere and his wariness of magic. UnTalented himself, Loriot has learned not only the benefits of magic but also its potential for harm-and how to counter it. He still believes it''s best to avoid most magic entirely, which is difficult when he''s tasked with playing guard to a powerful sorcerer.Loriot and Savarin clash repeatedly during their journey, but the simmering tension between them doesn''t only stem from their work, and passion develops into feelings neither expected. But Savarin must still secure Tournai''s magical barrier, and his only solution will endanger both him and the royal family.

A dead intruder. A missing scientist. A terrified child.No one wants a dramatic case first thing on a Monday morning, but that''s exactly what Detective Inspector Jacob Ofori got. It should be open and shut, but scientist Tom Sanders is nowhere to be found, a dead man seems to have appeared from thin air, and the Temporal Research Institute-Sanders''s company-is strangely uncooperative about assisting with the case.Jacob''s only source is TRI engineer, Kit Rafferty. He clearly wants to help, but there''s only so much the man can and will tell him. As more and more impossible questions mount up, Jacob finds himself facing a reality that could change his world.

Connor Molina''s summer can''t get any worse. He''s stuck in his college town taking summer classes, and he''s got a dead-end lifeguard job he''s too old for and a baby gay who''s thirsty for all the wrong guys.Even worse? Tristan, a wild patron, won''t leave his section of the pool, splashing him and pulling stupid stunts to get his attention. When Tristan fakes a drowning to get closer to him, Connor''s furious, but he quickly realizes that Tristan''s reckless nature isn''t always infuriating...it''s also intriguing.Can he let his guard down and let Tristan in, or will he be bound by his own rules and drown in the self-doubt this summer could free him from?

Three great stories. One great love.VGL Male Seeks SamePoor Ethan Schwartz. It seems like he will never find that special someone. At age forty-two, he''s still alone, his bed still empty, and his 42-inch HDTV overworked. He''s tried the bars and other places where gay men are supposed to find one another, but for Ethan, it never works out. He wonders if it ever will. Should he get a cat?But all of that is about to change...NEG UB2Poor Ethan Schwartz. He''s just had the most shocking news a gay man can get-he''s been diagnosed HIV positive. Up until today, he thought his life was on a perfect course. He had a job he loved and something else he thought he''d never have: Brian, a new man, one whom Ethan thought of as "the one." The one who would complete him, who would take his life from a lonely existence to a place filled with laughter, hot sex, and romance.But along with the fateful diagnosis comes another shock-is Brian who he thinks he is?Status UpdatesEthan finds himself alone once more and wonders if life is worth living, even one with a cat. Via a Facebook friend request, an old nemesis appears, wanting to be friends. Ethan is suspicious but intrigued because it seems this old acquaintance has turned his life around...and the changes just might hold the key to Ethan getting a new lease on life...and love.

Living paintings, spectral children, cannibal serial killers, lost souls, haunted houses, and ancient evil proliferate The Door and Other Uncanny Tales. Everywhere reality and fantasy collapse to create a new unstable world, even the body is not what it seems. Combined with Dmetri Kakmi''s gothic imagination and mordant humor, the result is fiction that is as memorable as it is unsettling.This collection contains three new and three previously published stories, including the acclaimed Haunting Matilda, The Long Lonely Road and The Boy by the Gate.