Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions 71 to 80

71. Radclyffe - Returning Tides (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

A devastating hurricane brings insurance investigator Ashley Walker back to Provincetown, the last place she wants to be. Not only must she deal with the dangerous consequences of the natural disaster, she has to fight her soul-shattering need for the woman she left behind. While Reese Conlon and Tory King deal with the challenges of a community in turmoil, a new threat emerges that proves to be even more deadly than the ravaging storm. A silent killer stalks the night, drawing ever closer to the one woman he believes to be his. Soon, no woman is safe, including Tory. The sixth in the Lambda Literary Award-winning Provincetown Tales.

72. Ronica Black - The Seeker (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

FBI profiler Kennedy Scott battles ghosts from her past, deadly obsession, and the evil that haunts her. The Seeker. Famed Hollywood actress Veronica Ryan arrives at a red carpet event with her wife Shawn. They are the world's most famous gay couple—beautiful, wealthy, and by all appearances, the happiest couple in the world. But things aren't always as they appear. And someone is out to dampen the parade. A shot rings out and Veronica finds herself tackled to the ground by security, her wife lying next to her in a pool of blood. Kennedy Scott used to be the best behavioral profiler the FBI had, but she is haunted by a string of child murders no one can solve. A single quote—Seek and ye shall find—was all she had to go on. The case has eaten her alive, and after her own family is threatened by an armed intruder, Kennedy retreats to be with them. But one phone call brings her back into the game. Veronica Ryan needs her help and the path may lead to the one who haunts her.

73. Kim Baldwin & Xenia Alexiou - Missing Lynx (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

Where do you run when there's nowhere to hide? When a sadistic serial killer known as the Headhunter resurfaces, a government blunder forces the Elite Operatives Organization into action. Operation Mask falls to Lynx. She has the determination, skills, and most importantly, the right profile, but her youth and lack of experience in the field could put more than the mission in jeopardy. Her search takes her deep into the jungles of Asia, where she must battle not only the ruthless purveyors of the international skin trade, but also her growing feelings for a mysterious mercenary with her own agenda for the Headhunter.

74. Lori Toland - The Replacement Guitarist (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Blaze Shinozuka, a hot talent who auditions as a replacement guitarist for world famous pop star Cassie, is thrilled when he draws the attention of celebrity manager Jason Stockton—and not only because it could make his career. His instant attraction to Jason sends his world careening off its axis and drives him to make a move. But Jason reacts by trying to put distance between them, and Blaze finds himself thrust into the gritty world of rock 'n' roll while falling for a man he shouldn’t touch, let alone love. Straight-laced Jason Stockton is always professional and never dips his pen in the company ink. But there's something about Blaze that leaves him wanting what he shouldn't, and the guitarist’s exotic beauty and compelling innocence turn out to be the temptation Jason can’t resist. But just one lie in the national media sets off a chain of events that pushes Jason and Blaze apart. Can they find a way to be together in the cutthroat, jealous world of rock 'n' roll even after the music stops?

75. Mark Kendrick - Trenekis of Hiera (Infinity Publishing)
Gay, Sci-Fic / Futuristic

An Arduous Journey. A Mysterious Stranger. An Impossible Relationship.Arasen Vatch, the leader of a fanatical religious order known as the Path Holders, rose to power on Eridanus Colony in 2757 CE. Tens of thousands died when loyalists committed a heinous act of terrorism. Arasen fled in cold sleep hibernation with his closest followers. No one knew he had led them to a faraway star system and founded a new settlement, dedicated to his ‘Path of Perfection’. Yet, years later, an inevitable schism occurred.

76. C.B. Potts - Silver Foxes (Lethe Press)
Gay, Erotica Contemporary

Daddy lovers rejoice! Author C.B. Potts has devoted an entire collection to that rough and hunky older man who has earned his place in the long history of gay erotica. Whether he has hair gun-metal gray or lustrous white, the daddy  possesses a charisma that drives younger men wild. Who else offers an embrace that promises to keep you warm, safe, and snug? Potts offers readers stirring stories featuring bikers, grease monkeys, soldiers, and even an alderman--all mature men more than willing to provide some much-needed experience to the young fellows who drop to their knees to idolize what the silver fox has learned over the years.

77. Jessica Freely - Rust Belt (Loose Id)
Gay, Mystery / Thriller

Times are tough in the Rust Belt, where once mighty industries now wither and die. As a city struggles for survival, two men find passion, comfort, and redemption in each other’s arms. Seth is scarred, body and soul, by his experiences in the Pit, an illegal fighting ring where men are brutalized for the entertainment of the crowd. Though he managed to escape, Seth will never forget those he had to leave behind. When he meets David, he is instantly attracted to him but knows that the sexy, bookish blond is far beyond his reach. Then David is attacked on the street and in an eyeblink, Seth alters both of their lives forever. For lonely, virginal David, Seth comes out of the night like a hero from one of his favorite books, only hotter. Seth’s passion and tenderness pierce the protective shell of isolation David has drawn around himself. In the wake of their shatteringly erotic encounter, David asks Seth to live with him. But just when it seems like happily ever after can happen even in Detroit, Seth’s past comes back to drag them back into the Pit.

78. - Marshall Moore - An Ideal for Living (Lethe Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Grace White and her brother Robert, overweight and affluent, are desperate to hang onto their respective love interests. Grace’s husband Rich is bonking every woman he can talk into bed. Grace is willing to look beyond his affairs if she can just have her marriage back. Robert’s law school fling James’s interest diminished as Robert’s waistline increased, but Robert has never moved on. The only solution? Losing those excess pounds… by any means necessary. And when James finds a supernatural healer who can sculpt living flesh like clay, beautiful ugliness ensues. Will Robert and Grace get what they want, or what they deserve? In An Ideal for Living, Marshall Moore has written a shocking fantastique, a novel that captures the Zeitgeist of contemporary urban life, where beauty is a commodity craved, consumed, and traded.

79. Heidi Cullinan - Double Blind (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Poker player and professional smartass Randy Jansen believes in fate but doesn't let it rule his life. Whether he’s at the table or between the sheets, Randy always knows the odds, and he only plays the games he can win—until he meets Ethan Ellison. Ethan came to Las Vegas with a broken heart and shattered spirit, and when he sits down at the roulette table with his last five dollars, he means this to be one of his last acts on earth. But Randy ropes him into first one bet, and then another, and then another.... Pretty soon they’re playing poker on the Strip and having the time of their lives—and all this even before Randy gets Ethan into his bed. But before Ethan can plot out a new course for his life, they’re drafted into the schemes of Randy’s former lover, a tricky gangster who needs a fall guy. To survive, Ethan will have to stop waiting on fate and start making his own luck, and Randy will have to face the demons of his past and accept that to win this round, he’s going to have to put up a big ante. It isn’t money going into the pot this time, either: it’s his heart, and Ethan’s too—because for better or for worse, the game of love has a double blind. Read about Randy before he meets Ethan in Special Delivery.

80. Carolyn Topol - Veiled Security (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Erotica Contemporary

Del Mathers and Joey Dixon have settled in the West Village of New York City, trying to launch their careers at a local and well-respected drag club. Del is balancing his devotion to his lover and his desire to perform on stage; his drag queen alter-ego, Venus, a bold and sultry chanteuse, exists to mask his identity because he's not out to his family. Joey, a gifted musician and lyricist, treasures Del as his inspiration, but he has his own frustrations and is hiding behind a series of conditions, throwing roadblocks into their uncertain path to complete and unconditional commitment. As if dealing with a faltering relationship and Del's overbearing parents isn't enough, Del and Joey face danger when a group of homophobic vigilantes starts targeting the gay community. All it takes is a moment’s carelessness, and everything they have struggled to build could be destroyed.

Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions 71 to 80

71. Radclyffe - Returning Tides (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

A devastating hurricane brings insurance investigator Ashley Walker back to Provincetown, the last place she wants to be. Not only must she deal with the dangerous consequences of the natural disaster, she has to fight her soul-shattering need for the woman she left behind. While Reese Conlon and Tory King deal with the challenges of a community in turmoil, a new threat emerges that proves to be even more deadly than the ravaging storm. A silent killer stalks the night, drawing ever closer to the one woman he believes to be his. Soon, no woman is safe, including Tory. The sixth in the Lambda Literary Award-winning Provincetown Tales.

72. Ronica Black - The Seeker (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

FBI profiler Kennedy Scott battles ghosts from her past, deadly obsession, and the evil that haunts her. The Seeker. Famed Hollywood actress Veronica Ryan arrives at a red carpet event with her wife Shawn. They are the world's most famous gay couple—beautiful, wealthy, and by all appearances, the happiest couple in the world. But things aren't always as they appear. And someone is out to dampen the parade. A shot rings out and Veronica finds herself tackled to the ground by security, her wife lying next to her in a pool of blood. Kennedy Scott used to be the best behavioral profiler the FBI had, but she is haunted by a string of child murders no one can solve. A single quote—Seek and ye shall find—was all she had to go on. The case has eaten her alive, and after her own family is threatened by an armed intruder, Kennedy retreats to be with them. But one phone call brings her back into the game. Veronica Ryan needs her help and the path may lead to the one who haunts her.

73. Kim Baldwin & Xenia Alexiou - Missing Lynx (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian, Mystery / Thriller

Where do you run when there's nowhere to hide? When a sadistic serial killer known as the Headhunter resurfaces, a government blunder forces the Elite Operatives Organization into action. Operation Mask falls to Lynx. She has the determination, skills, and most importantly, the right profile, but her youth and lack of experience in the field could put more than the mission in jeopardy. Her search takes her deep into the jungles of Asia, where she must battle not only the ruthless purveyors of the international skin trade, but also her growing feelings for a mysterious mercenary with her own agenda for the Headhunter.

74. Lori Toland - The Replacement Guitarist (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Blaze Shinozuka, a hot talent who auditions as a replacement guitarist for world famous pop star Cassie, is thrilled when he draws the attention of celebrity manager Jason Stockton—and not only because it could make his career. His instant attraction to Jason sends his world careening off its axis and drives him to make a move. But Jason reacts by trying to put distance between them, and Blaze finds himself thrust into the gritty world of rock 'n' roll while falling for a man he shouldn’t touch, let alone love. Straight-laced Jason Stockton is always professional and never dips his pen in the company ink. But there's something about Blaze that leaves him wanting what he shouldn't, and the guitarist’s exotic beauty and compelling innocence turn out to be the temptation Jason can’t resist. But just one lie in the national media sets off a chain of events that pushes Jason and Blaze apart. Can they find a way to be together in the cutthroat, jealous world of rock 'n' roll even after the music stops?

75. Mark Kendrick - Trenekis of Hiera (Infinity Publishing)
Gay, Sci-Fic / Futuristic

An Arduous Journey. A Mysterious Stranger. An Impossible Relationship.Arasen Vatch, the leader of a fanatical religious order known as the Path Holders, rose to power on Eridanus Colony in 2757 CE. Tens of thousands died when loyalists committed a heinous act of terrorism. Arasen fled in cold sleep hibernation with his closest followers. No one knew he had led them to a faraway star system and founded a new settlement, dedicated to his ‘Path of Perfection’. Yet, years later, an inevitable schism occurred.

76. C.B. Potts - Silver Foxes (Lethe Press)
Gay, Erotica Contemporary

Daddy lovers rejoice! Author C.B. Potts has devoted an entire collection to that rough and hunky older man who has earned his place in the long history of gay erotica. Whether he has hair gun-metal gray or lustrous white, the daddy  possesses a charisma that drives younger men wild. Who else offers an embrace that promises to keep you warm, safe, and snug? Potts offers readers stirring stories featuring bikers, grease monkeys, soldiers, and even an alderman--all mature men more than willing to provide some much-needed experience to the young fellows who drop to their knees to idolize what the silver fox has learned over the years.

77. Jessica Freely - Rust Belt (Loose Id)
Gay, Mystery / Thriller

Times are tough in the Rust Belt, where once mighty industries now wither and die. As a city struggles for survival, two men find passion, comfort, and redemption in each other’s arms. Seth is scarred, body and soul, by his experiences in the Pit, an illegal fighting ring where men are brutalized for the entertainment of the crowd. Though he managed to escape, Seth will never forget those he had to leave behind. When he meets David, he is instantly attracted to him but knows that the sexy, bookish blond is far beyond his reach. Then David is attacked on the street and in an eyeblink, Seth alters both of their lives forever. For lonely, virginal David, Seth comes out of the night like a hero from one of his favorite books, only hotter. Seth’s passion and tenderness pierce the protective shell of isolation David has drawn around himself. In the wake of their shatteringly erotic encounter, David asks Seth to live with him. But just when it seems like happily ever after can happen even in Detroit, Seth’s past comes back to drag them back into the Pit.

78. - Marshall Moore - An Ideal for Living (Lethe Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Grace White and her brother Robert, overweight and affluent, are desperate to hang onto their respective love interests. Grace’s husband Rich is bonking every woman he can talk into bed. Grace is willing to look beyond his affairs if she can just have her marriage back. Robert’s law school fling James’s interest diminished as Robert’s waistline increased, but Robert has never moved on. The only solution? Losing those excess pounds… by any means necessary. And when James finds a supernatural healer who can sculpt living flesh like clay, beautiful ugliness ensues. Will Robert and Grace get what they want, or what they deserve? In An Ideal for Living, Marshall Moore has written a shocking fantastique, a novel that captures the Zeitgeist of contemporary urban life, where beauty is a commodity craved, consumed, and traded.

79. Heidi Cullinan - Double Blind (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Contemporary

Poker player and professional smartass Randy Jansen believes in fate but doesn't let it rule his life. Whether he’s at the table or between the sheets, Randy always knows the odds, and he only plays the games he can win—until he meets Ethan Ellison. Ethan came to Las Vegas with a broken heart and shattered spirit, and when he sits down at the roulette table with his last five dollars, he means this to be one of his last acts on earth. But Randy ropes him into first one bet, and then another, and then another.... Pretty soon they’re playing poker on the Strip and having the time of their lives—and all this even before Randy gets Ethan into his bed. But before Ethan can plot out a new course for his life, they’re drafted into the schemes of Randy’s former lover, a tricky gangster who needs a fall guy. To survive, Ethan will have to stop waiting on fate and start making his own luck, and Randy will have to face the demons of his past and accept that to win this round, he’s going to have to put up a big ante. It isn’t money going into the pot this time, either: it’s his heart, and Ethan’s too—because for better or for worse, the game of love has a double blind. Read about Randy before he meets Ethan in Special Delivery.

80. Carolyn Topol - Veiled Security (Dreamspinner Press)
Gay, Erotica Contemporary

Del Mathers and Joey Dixon have settled in the West Village of New York City, trying to launch their careers at a local and well-respected drag club. Del is balancing his devotion to his lover and his desire to perform on stage; his drag queen alter-ego, Venus, a bold and sultry chanteuse, exists to mask his identity because he's not out to his family. Joey, a gifted musician and lyricist, treasures Del as his inspiration, but he has his own frustrations and is hiding behind a series of conditions, throwing roadblocks into their uncertain path to complete and unconditional commitment. As if dealing with a faltering relationship and Del's overbearing parents isn't enough, Del and Joey face danger when a group of homophobic vigilantes starts targeting the gay community. All it takes is a moment’s carelessness, and everything they have struggled to build could be destroyed.