Showing results by narrator "Kirt Graves" in All Categories

Leothius Hollen arrives in Presque Isle, home of the dragon rulers, to investigate the murder of the mage ambassador. The last thing he expects is to run into the sexy-as-sin guy who stood him up months ago. Well, really the last thing he expects is the guy is actually King Gundhram. Wait, nope, the absolute last thing he expects is that Gundhram is his mate. What did he do to the universe that the guy who humiliated him, turns out to be the guy he has to spend the rest of his life with?

Mage Jannick Pederson thought it was a simple assignment: help the gryphon leader find some missing human children and then go home. A noble cause, even if he didn't much like the abrasive jerk. So why didn't someone tell him he'd be working closely with the leader's son instead? That hot piece of perfection could make even happily-single Jannick give up his no-strings-attached ways.

Bartholomew Hollen, professor of defensive magic at Utrecht University, just wanted a no strings, no feelings, no attachment hookup. Nothing messy like when his ex-boyfriend tried to feed him to a demon. Bart's heart, however, has other ideas. But when he has a vision of the future and sees his hookup dying at his feet from yet another demon, Bart does the only sensible thing—he sneaks out like a thief in the night.

In the rough realm of bikers, there are no shortcuts to win a place among the old guard. It’s a world where respect can only be earned, trust is painfully gained, and loyalty will be fiercely returned. Jerry Rogers lived his life bound to those firm tenets which anchored his brotherhood. MHL&R was more than a patch on a leather cut; it ran thick as blood through Retro’s veins as he worked to better things for his club, and family. Confronted by evidence that what happened in the past wouldn’t remain quietly buried any longer, Retro embarks on his most important journey.

Special Agent Jefferson Haines puts the "order" in law and order. Meal kits. Gray suits. Consistent reps at the gym. But all his routines are thrown into chaos when he's called in to catch a serial killer whose MO is the stuff of urban legend: the Smiley Face Killer. Dripping paint. Wicked slashes for eyes. The taunting curl of a smiling mouth. After years evading capture, the serial killer is back again. As Jefferson races to stop the next attack, the investigation leads to the one man he thought he'd never see again, Fred "Finny" Ashley.

With two all-star college football players for brothers and a former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman for a father, it is only natural for sixth-grade quarterback Benjamin Redd to follow in their footsteps. However, after his dad receives a heartbreaking ALS diagnosis — connected to all those hard hits and tackles he took on the field — Ben’s mom becomes more determined than ever to get Ben to quit football.

Po’Boy, Wrench, and Crissy show how they're meant to be in this saucy and sassy story about love, and change, and doing a whole lot more than just getting by. Now that Po’Boy has found his happy with the two people he loves more than life itself, he just has to figure out how to keep it. Their triad relationship walks a finely balanced line between the demands of their outside lives and in bed, and Po’Boy is determined to keep things good and sweet for his partners.

Calaf and Ishmael are two friends thrust into a world of clashing empires in third century CE Rome and Persia. Growing up in the court of the brutal Kushan emperor Timur, Calaf is Timur’s son and heir, and Ishmael is the son of Timur's scribe. They are inseparable, with ties of love and devotion that stretch back to births days apart and shrouded in mystery. When Calaf nearly dies saving Ishmael, his father is furious that the prince would risk his life for a servant, and does all that he can to separate the friends.

Ralph Lewis, otherwise known as Po’Boy, made one decision that changed the trajectory of his entire life. On the losing end of a schoolyard fight, he’d been on his back in the dust, glaring up at the boy who’d flattened him. Had watched unbelieving as that same boy stretched out his hand, offering to help Ralph to his feet. Against every instinct, he had accepted. In that instant, he went from friendless pariah to having a partner and ally. For the first time in his life, he was respected...and feared.

George Bell, aka Twisted, knows the odds are against him. Have been all his life. Born in a Louisiana bordello, raised around the rough and rowdy men of a motorcycle club, he’s never been the lucky type. But he believes luck can change, so when fate gives him a glimpse of breathtaking beauty, he’s more than willing to roll the dice. Chancing upon what could be the woman of his dreams, he’s prepared to push this streak as far as he can.

Dylan Jurgenson hates camping but is stuck chaperoning his practical magic class on their fieldtrip. Worse, he's bunking with sexy math teacher Xavier Tollis. You know, the hot Minotaur shifter who barely knows Dylan exists. Not that Xavier's lack of interest comes as any surprise. Who'd be interested in a mediocre mage, anyway?

I never thought after spending a week in Coral Pointe with my cousin, helping at his friends' wedding, that I'd be back in this small town. Life in Sacramento is already lonely, but when my mom finds out my secret and uses it to hurt me in the worst way, all I want is to be where acceptance and love are as vast and dependable as the horizon. The place where the most beautiful hazel eyes I've ever seen are only a town away.

Sage: In just a few weeks, I'm going to marry the love of my life. Levi makes me happier than I ever thought possible. There's just one shriveled raisin in this Christmas cookie. He thinks he's masking his pain well, but I can see he's longing for something I can't exactly give him. With the help of four little elves—don't tell Levi’s best friends I called them little—I'm going to show him he deserves to have it all. With the wedding details all set, I have plenty of time to focus on putting the jolly back in my man's holly. What could go wrong?

Ethan Bennett plays guitar, barbecues, and owns a diner. He's a widower whose life still revolves around his sons, but he wouldn't have it any other way. When Mickey, a younger man his son had been helping shows up at the diner, cold to the bone, thin as a rail, Ethan knows he can't send him away. He expects to help Mickey out for a while, what he doesn't expect is the way the quiet younger man occupies his every waking moment.

Get up. Stand up. America is standing up. Armed with training and new confidence, people who’ve been owned by seven corporations for too long are forming workers’ unions, subverting corporate rule, spreading change, and demanding lives worth living. The Wildcards land the assignment of advising and supporting the workers in civic actions—a.k.a. playing pranks for a good cause. The crew is sure it’s the best assignment of their lives...for about five minutes. And then it starts to get hot.

Set directly after Call the Bluff in the Aces High, Jokers Wild universe, this novella lets readers hang out with the Wildcards for Christmas. When the nights are long and cold outside, there’s no better place to be than among the family you’ve found.

The Day of the Dead has come, and the Wildcards are celebrating. Tweak gets a nickname. Naomi gets to lend a hand. The Wildcards get a little more than they signed up for. Maybe they'll think before they pull pranks next time...or maybe not.

What do you do when you’re assigned a commander that you can’t take orders from? If you’re the Wildcards, you put your heads together and get rid of him. After all, the Wildcards are known for creative insubordination, chaos, and commanders begging to be reassigned.

In this short story from the Aces High, Jokers Wild universe, Tweak and Abigail put their heads together and find out if they can use unpatented seeds to resurrect something truly precious: a cacao tree. Along the way, they explore the ethics of genetic engineering and what it really takes to survive a drier, hotter world. Come see what can grow out of a few seeds.

I'm a nerdy, neurodivergent librarian who lives a quiet life in the mountains. While out birdwatching one day, I stumble upon a giant of a mountain man bathing in the lake. Naked. I manage to run away, hoping he didn't see me. And then he shows up at my library.