Marguerite Labbe's Blog, page 5

It's Release Day! Playing Ball is Available Now!

Whoohoo, I'm so excited. Putting this anthology together has been one fun ride. I had so much fun with Shae Connor, Kate McMurray and Kerry Freeman. Without further ado, here are the links:

Ebook
Print Book

And don't forget today's stop on the blog tour. Today Kate and I are at The Armchair Reader discussing our love for rival teams. :D

The Yankees and The Red Sox

And don't forget to enter our Rafflecopter contest!

CLICK HERE TO WIN

Baseball - America's favorite pastime - provides a field wide open for romance. A Home Field Advantage may not help when Toby must choose between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it. In 1927, Skip hides his sexuality to protect his career until he meets One Man to Remember. Ruben and Alan fell victim to a Wild Pitch, leaving them struggling with heartache and guilt, and now they've met again. And on One Last Road Trip, Jake retires and leaves baseball behind, hoping to reconnect with Mikko and get a second chance at love.

Home Field Advantage by Shae Connor
Toby MacMillan, grandson of Atlanta Braves owner Ray MacMillan, lives for baseball and loves his team. When he meets new team member Caleb Browning, an innocent welcome-to-the-big-leagues dinner leads to a not-so-innocent night together. Toby quickly calls things off, afraid of the ramifications of their tryst, but the two men develop a friendship that soon becomes more. After Caleb takes a fastball to the head, their budding romance hits the news—and Toby’s grandfather hits the roof. When Ray MacMillan demands Toby deny the relationship, Toby must choose between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it.

One Man to Remember by Kate McMurray
It's 1927, and in New York City, Babe Ruth and the Yankees’ unstoppable batting lineup, Murderers' Row, is all anyone can talk about. Across town, the Giants' rookie infielder Skip Littlefield racks up hits, creating a streak to rival the Babe’s. Worried his secrets could get out, he avoids the spotlight, but he catches the attention of lauded sports reporter Walter Selby, a notorious dandy whose sexuality is an open secret. Skip reluctantly agrees to an interview, and mutual attraction is sparked. Skip can only hope the more charismatic stars will draw attention away from his romance with Walt. Otherwise, his career and everything he loves is at stake.

Wild Pitch by Marguerite Labbe
Ruben Martell fell in love with Alan Hartner during their years playing baseball. They stepped over the foul line once, but the encounter left them struggling with heartache and guilt, turning away from each other to focus on their families. Now retired from the majors, they run a batting cage together and coach rival Little League teams as they juggle fatherhood and being single again. Though Ruben has never given up hope that Alan might look at him as more than a friend, Alan seems determined to keep things the way they’ve always been. But long-buried feelings and desires have a way of resurfacing, and Ruben can't wait forever.

One Last Road Trip by Kerry Freeman
With the last game of his Major League Baseball career behind him, Jake Wilson hits the road. Years have passed, but he never got over the romance he shared with Mikko Niemi back in college. Finally, he's ready to do something about it. He starts with some crucial visits to his ex-wife in New Mexico, his son in Oklahoma, and his daughter in Tennessee. But his true destination is Mikko's home in Georgia, where he's hoping to get a second chance at love.

Playing Ball Contest!

To celebrate the release of PLAYING BALL and our blog tour, Shae, Kate, Kerry, and I have put together a pretty awesome giveaway.
Grand prize : A print copy of PLAYING BALL signed by all four authors, a unisex BBQ apron featuring hot athletes from Originals by Lauren, and swag from all four authors.
  Runner-up prize : An ebook copy of PLAYING BALL and swag from all four authors.
The giveaway will run from 12AM Central on September 21, 2013 to 12AM Central on October 11, 2013. To give an opportunity for the authors to get together to sign the book and gather swag, the winners will be picked and the prizes shipped after the end of GayRomLit 2013.
But there are some rules:
You must be a resident of Earth, 18 years or older, who lives in a place where the viewing of adult material is legal. By entering the giveaway, you are indicating your agreement to the rules. Winners must provide a physical mailing address to receive their prizes. If a winner does not respond to the prize notification within 48 hours, the prize will be re-awarded.
Good luck!
CLICK HERE TO WIN

Launch of the Playing Ball Blog Tour!

Hello everybody. I am sorry for the late update. I didn’t have internet access this morning like I thought I would, so this is the first chance I had to get online. For the first several days of the Playing Ball blog tour, Shae, Kate, Kerry and I are posting excerpts to introduce our respective stories. My story, Wild Pitch, is about two best friends who played together for years and now that they are retired, they are finding themselves dealing with emotions they thought they left behind them.
Ruben Martell fell in love with Alan Hartner during their years playing baseball. They stepped over the foul line once, but the encounter left them struggling with heartache and guilt, turning away from each other to focus on their families. Now retired from the majors, they run a batting cage together and coach rival Little League teams as they juggle fatherhood and being single again. Though Ruben has never given up hope that Alan might look at him as more than a friend, Alan seems determined to keep things the way they’ve always been. But long-buried feelings and desires have a way of resurfacing, and Ruben can't wait forever.
In this excerpt Ruben heads to Alan’s house against his better judgment and finds himself in a situation that immediately eases his mood. I hope you enjoy.
* * * * *
FROM the backyard, Ruben heard the roar of a major battle taking place, the high-pitched gleeful shrieks of young boys mixed with Alan’s shouts of defiance. He grabbed the six-pack from the passenger seat and went around the side of Alan’s house to investigate. It might be safer to take refuge on the deck and watch the chaos until they noticed he’d arrived.
Ruben slipped through the gate and stopped with a laugh at the sight of the full blown water war taking place. Alan had barricaded himself behind the picnic table turned on its side, and his three older sons were attempting to swarm him with water guns. None of them saw Ruben come in. The boys were too intent on getting to their victim and Alan in holding them off.
Alan jumped up with a roar, water balloons in both hands, and Brett, Mikey, and Seth scattered with another round of shrieks. Alan tossed his first round of ammunition, catching both Mikey and Seth, though Brett danced out of reach with a taunt before reaching down to grab more ammunition.
Ruben grinned and set the beers on the deck with a wicked sense of bubbling anticipation. It pulled him out of the downward spiral of nagging regrets and the sense of hopelessness that had dogged him for the past couple of weeks. It was impossible to remain depressed around Alan and his sons.
The youngest boy, Matt, was with Alan, attempting to carry the water balloons off one by one. He was soaked to the skin, breaking most of the balloons as he hugged them to him while trying to toddle away. The only one not wet was Alan, and that couldn’t be allowed.
Humming to himself, Ruben unwound the garden hose from its neat coil under the back faucet. Matt grabbed another water balloon, caught sight of Ruben, and let out a crow of delight. Ruben held a finger to his lips and beckoned to him as he turned on the water. Oh this was going to be so good.
“Unca, Unca!” Matt yelled, dropping the water balloon and waving his chubby hands as he toddled toward Ruben as fast as his short, fat legs would take him.
Alan twisted around, looking for Matt, and his gaze fell on Ruben as he pointed the hose at him. He had just enough time for his eyes to widen before Ruben turned the nozzle on full blast with a wicked laugh. The stream of water caught Alan square in the chest, and he shouted as the boys whooped in delight.
“You double crossing—” Alan cut himself off before he let loose the slew of curses that would’ve once dominated his tirade. Ruben snickered and kept the hose on him as Alan’s boys came in with their water guns to finish him off.
Alan grabbed a water balloon and threw it at Ruben, who sidestepped it with a chuckle. “Your pitching sucks, Hartner,” Ruben taunted.
“Yeah? Dodge this.” Alan grabbed more ammunition and barreled forward with the burst of speed he’d once used to steal bases.
“Whoo-hoo!” Brett shouted, turning his water gun on Ruben. “Get Uncle Ruben too!”
Ruben cursed under his breath and took a step back even as he knew it was too late. Alan pelted him with the water balloons and then tackled him to the ground. Of all the fantasies he’d had over the years of Alan taking him down like this, none of them had involved water balloons or four shrieking boys in the background.
He stamped on his libido and pulled the trigger of the nozzle as Alan tried to wrest the hose away from Ruben. Water, just above freezing, went everywhere, soaking them both and Ruben let out a startled shout from the shock. He relinquished the hose and shoved Alan off him with a laugh.
“You do realize I’m the only one at this madhouse without a change of clothes, right?”
“You’ll dry out in the sun. There’s a nice breeze coming off the lake.” Alan sat up and gave him a friendly shove back. “You should’ve stayed out of it if you didn’t want the consequences.”
“Please. You all would’ve involved me the moment you saw me, unless I took refuge in the house.”
Alan grinned, his entire expression engaging, and for a moment the familiar camaraderie was there, the kind they’d had before things had gotten to be so complicated. Ruben missed that, the friendship without old guilt, the enjoyment of being in Alan’s presence without his feelings being muddled by sexual tension and longing for more.
He only had himself to blame for any awkwardness between them. He never should’ve kissed Alan that night, no matter how much the memory of that kiss had been seared into his brain.
“Hey, you okay?” Alan nudged Ruben’s elbow with his own.
Ruben pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts and met Alan’s concerned gaze. “Yeah.” “It’s not your shoulder, is it?”
Ruben forced a smile and got to his feet. “Despite last year’s surgery, my shoulder is faring better than my knees. I’m good.” The memory of being forced out by younger, stronger m en had ceased to sting awhile ago. The rehab hadn’t helped him get his fastball back up to speed, and neither had the surgery. Alan’s offer of a partnership had given him something to work toward instead of pining for a career that had slipped away.

Besides, he couldn’t complain. He wasn’t the only one who’d had to quit playing professionally. At least his kids still had both their parents, even if one was in Florida and the other in Vermont. Alan had been forced to do it all on his own, and Ruben hadn’t heard him bitch once about how his life had been turned around inside out.
“Then what is it?” Alan asked in a low voice as he stood up as well. He shrugged out of his wet T-shirt and tossed the thin cotton over his shoulder. Ruben looked away from his broad shoulders and trim waist, squashing the familiar tug of longing. “You used to tell me everything, Ruben.”
There used to be a time when Ruben could tell him everything, but he wasn’t about to pressure Alan with the stupid, unrequited love whine. He knew where Alan stood when it came to the two of them and that was okay. Ruben’s “what ifs” were all his own. But if anybody would understand how much Ruben missed his kids, it would be his best friend.
“I will,” Ruben assured him. “Just not now. Later, when the boys are in bed. Right now I just want to chill and break out the grill.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Alan turned his gaze on Matt, who was attempting to run and hold onto his falling diaper at the same time. “First, I have a renegade to take care of before he decides to strip naked.”

* * * * *
Next up on the tour, the lovely Shae Connor! Now for everyone who comments on our blogs or follows us on Twitter or Facebook, they get entered into our Raffle with two fabulous prizes at the end!
9/21: Marguerite Labbe
9/22: Shae Connor
9/23: Kerry Freeman
9/24: Kate McMurray
9/25: The Armchair Reader
9/26: Literary Nook
9/27: Joyfully Jay
9/28: Elisa’s Reviews and Ramblings
9/29: Andrew Gordon
9/30: Paisley Smith
10/1: Southern Magic RWA
10/2: P.D. Singer
10/3: J.P. Barnaby
10/4: Naima Simone
10/5: Aidee Ladnier
10/6: The Blog of Sid Love
10/7: The Novel Approach
10/8: Zahra Owens
10/9: Tempeste O’Riley
10/10: Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

"Make Me Whole" - Release Day and Guest Posts

Cover art by Melissa Gay Make Me Whole   My newsest book, a paranormal romance just came out with Dreamspinner Press today! I'm so excited. I hope you all enjoy Galen and Nick, Dexios and Lykon as much as I did.   Make Me Whole Ebook Make Me Whole Print  After a grueling battle in ancient Greece, lovers Dexios and Lykon committed their lives to each other in the name of Goddess Cythera. After the war, fearing the strength of his love for Dexios, Lykon abandoned his vow and returned home. Heartbroken, Dexios called on Cythera, who changed him into four unfinished statues. In that form he would wait for his fickle lover to return, break the curse, and make him whole.

Thousands of years have passed when Galen Kanellis finds the disassembled pieces in the storeroom of a Seattle museum and makes them the focus of his new exhibit. Needing information, he contacts his ex-lover Nick Charisteas. Nick has a lifelong dream of finding the Dexios Collection, and the last thing he expected was for it to wind up in the hands of the man who broke his heart. As both men search for answers about the statues, worries of abandonment and fear of loss test their renewed relationship, threatening to separate them again—this time permanently.

And I'm on the lovely Joyfully Jay's website today with a guest post and maybe giving away a little something. :-D Stop on by and comment.

Joyfully Jay

Cover Reveal - Playing Ball

Cover by Aaron AndersonThe baseball collaboration with the wonderful Shae Connor, Kate McMurray and Kerry Freeman will be released on September 25th! Look at the absolutely beautiful cover that Aaron Anderson did for us. I love the simplicity of it and the way it’s just about the best sport out there. I had a chance to read everyone else’s story, and let me tell you, you’re in for a real treat.

We all had a fabulous time putting this together even if it was a bit hectic at moments. So let me know what you think and tell me who your favorite team is, or favorite player, or position. I think you all already know who I favor.

:-D Love, Margie

Home Field Advantage by Shae Connor
Toby MacMillan, grandson of Atlanta Braves owner Ray MacMillan, lives for baseball and loves his team. When he meets new team member Caleb Browning, an innocent welcome-to-the-big-leagues dinner leads to a not-so-innocent night together. Toby quickly calls things off, afraid of the ramifications of their tryst, but the two men develop a friendship that soon becomes more. After Caleb takes a fastball to the head, their budding romance hits the news—and Toby’s grandfather hits the roof. When Ray MacMillan demands Toby deny the relationship, Toby must choose between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it.
One Man to Remember by Kate McMurray
It's 1927, and in New York City Babe Ruth and the Yankee's unstoppable batting lineup, Murderers' Row, is all anyone can talk about. Across town, the Giants' rookie infielder Skip Littlefield racks up hits, creating a streak to rival the Babe’s. Worried his secrets could get out, he avoids the spotlight, but he catches the attention of lauded sports reporter Walter Selby, a notorious dandy whose sexuality is an open secret. Skip reluctantly agrees to an interview, and mutual attraction is sparked. Skip can only hope the more charismatic stars will draw attention away from his romance with Walt. Otherwise, his career and everything he loves is at stake.
One Last Road Trip by Kerry Freeman
With the last game of his Major League Baseball career behind him, Jake Wilson hits the road. Years have passed, but he’s never gotten over the romance he shared with Mikko Niemi back in college. Finally, he's ready to do something about it. He starts with some crucial visits to his ex-wife in New Mexico, his son in Oklahoma, and his daughter in Tennessee. But his true destination is Mikko's home in Georgia, where he's hoping to get a second chance at love.
Wild Pitch by Marguerite Labbe
Ruben Martell fell in love with Alan Hartner during their years playing baseball. They stepped over the foul line once, but the encounter left them struggling with heartache and guilt, turning away from each other to focus on their families. Now retired from the majors, they run a batting cage together and coach rival Little League teams as they juggle fatherhood and being single again. Though Ruben has never given up hope that Alan might look at him as more than a friend, Alan seems determined to keep things the way they’ve always been. But long-buried feelings and desires have a way of resurfacing, and Ruben can't wait forever.
Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4197
Print: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4198
 

Of Dreams and Plot Bunnies

My brain can give me some truly screwed up ideas for plots and my dreams sometimes scare the heebie-jeebies out of me. See this is the kind of plot bunny I'd like to visit me. Isn't he adorable? So sweet and innocent and unable to resist. I'm sure there are writers out there that get plot bunnies like that, but not me. No, my bunnies are a whole different ilk and they play very well with my muses who are demanding themselves, demanding, arrogant and OCD, and they never shut the fuck up. Now below, that's the usual kind of plot bunny I get.
CRPittIsn't he charming? You've got to love the unkempt hair, the huge teeth, the threatening claws and the way he looms behind that poor, defenseless writer.

 Scarlet FrostThat's my boy right there, once he decides he wants a story told, he doesn't let up until it's done, even if it takes a couple years for it to go from plot bunny attack to actual words on paper. And he's a genius at getting the muses involved with their underhanded tricks. But no, that wasn't the bunny that visited me Sunday night. The one that woke me up at 3:30 in the morning and left me awake at least for an hour. No, that was this ugly bastard.

Freaky isn't he?

So I had this dream that involved curses and old magic and possession and people who whould not stop freaking screaming. See in my dream, someone on the outside of wherever we were, I think it was a Scottish castle, was directing vengeful, violent spirits to possess people on the inside, forcing them to relive the last moments of a horrible death. All anybody else in the castle could see was this poor unfortunate soul screaming, their faces gone white, their eyes bulging as they stared off at someone unseen and the screaming went on for hours, sometimes days before the person's heart went out. They died and the curse moved on to someone else. There would be a few moments of blessed silence, profound relief and then the screaming would start somewhere else in the castle. And what made it all even worse was all the people in the castle were a little community of friends and family, so we were watching loved ones going through this and trying desperately to stop it.

Shudders.

Then to make matters worse, as I'm lying in bed, trying to think of happy, bright and colorful things, my husband has one of his nightmares that he gets sometimes when his blood sugars are too low. And when he gets these dreams he makes this sound, a low, moaning kind of undulating wail that I did not handle at all well after that dream. I had to wake him up cause I couldn't handle it that night. It freaked me out even more.

So then, in the light of the morning I thought, you know evil plot bunny dude, that would make for one freaky assed story. And the plot bunny grinned.

 

One Week and Counting

Pre-Order Link, Cover Art by Melissa GayHello everybody!

Whooohooo, Make Me Whole is going to be released one week from today. I don't know about y'all, but I'm wiggling with excitement. And during release week I'll be on Joyfully Jay that Monday and on The Armchair Reader that Wednesday giving away a copy each so stop by and check it out.

After a grueling battle in ancient Greece, lovers Dexios and Lykon committed their lives to each other in the name of Goddess Cythera. After the war, fearing the strength of his love for Dexios, Lykon abandoned his vow and returned home. Heartbroken, Dexios called on Cythera, who changed him into four unfinished statues. In that form he would wait for his fickle lover to return, break the curse, and make him whole.

Thousands of years have passed when Galen Kanellis finds the disassembled pieces in the storeroom of a Seattle museum and makes them the focus of his new exhibit. Needing information, he contacts his ex-lover Nick Charisteas. Nick has a lifelong dream of finding the Dexios Collection, and the last thing he expected was for it to wind up in the hands of the man who broke his heart. As both men search for answers about the statues, worries of abandonment and fear of loss test their renewed relationship, threatening to separate them again—this time permanently.

I have a few other things going on this week. Tomorrow I'll be talking about "Dreams and Plot Bunnies," Wednesday I have a surprise :-D so be sure to stop by and check it out, Thursday I'll be discussing Kim Knox's new m/m release Agamemnon Frost. If you've never read her before, I'm telling you she's awesome.

Ooooh, and if you're interested in contest, the amazing C.M. Torrens is doing a giveaway on her blog this week. She's giving away a copy of her spicy little short "One Night to Change." Plus at the end of the month she's giving away a gift card to a commenter so stop by. http://cmtorrens.com/.

I think that's all for today. Edits are done, whoohooo, vacation is coming double whoohooo! So maybe I'll stop running around like a maniacal lemming.

Love,

Margie

Giveaways and Appearances Oh My!

There's been so much going on lately that I don't know if I'm coming or going. First I had edits for Make Me Whole then for Wild Pitch, then back to the first story and so on. Plus July is the busiest month of the year for me at the EDJ. No kidding, it's been crazy. But July is over and August is here. I've turned 39 and managed to lose a few more pounds so I feel like celebrating.

I have two giveaways going on at Goodreads, one for my old book Ghosts in the Wind, which is one of my all time favorites and the other for Make Me Whole since it's going to be released from Dreampsinner Press at the end of the month. Here's the link: Make Me Whole. I'm pretty excited. On top of all of that I'm doing my first public reading this weekend at the Outwrite Book Festival in DC. The reading and panel are taking place on Friday night and the Book Fair is on Saturday.

So if you're interested in a signed print copy of either book here are the links:

Make Me Whole
Ghosts in the Wind

 More later.

Love,

Margie

Story Picture Monday - Make Me Whole

I'm waiting on the second round of edits for the museum story and I've got my official blurb back for it:

After a grueling battle in ancient Greece, lovers Dexios and Lykon committed their lives to each other in the name of Goddess Cythera. After the war, fearing the strength of his love for Dexios, Lykon abandoned his vow and returned home. Heartbroken, Dexios called on Cythera, who changed him into four unfinished statues. In that form he would wait for his fickle lover to return, break the curse, and make him whole. 

Thousands of years have passed when Galen Kanellis finds the disassembled pieces in the storeroom of a Seattle museum and makes them the focus of his new exhibit. Needing information, he contacts his ex-lover Nick Charisteas. Nick has a lifelong dream of finding the Dexios Collection, and the last thing he expected was for it to wind up in the hands of the man who broke his heart. As both men search for answers about the statues, worries of abandonment and fear of loss test their renewed relationship, threatening to separate them again—this time permanently.

I lucked out when Melissa Gay made me that absolutely beautiful cover for the story. Actually, she had drafted more than one picture for me to chose from and she has graciously given me permission to post the other one as well. It's too awesome to not share. It is almost exactly what the first statue would look like if it were completed. So I thought, in honor of Dexios and Lykon, that I'd share one of their little bits.

Dexios shifted and turned Lykon onto his back. The moon shone down on his face, illuminating the strong lines of his jaw and nose. The camp quieted for the night, allowing Dexios to hear the sound of the waves washing against the shore in the distance. Fitting, all things considered, and Dexios prayed that Cythera would hear his words to Lykon and bless them.

“The end of the war does not mean we have to part.” He stared down at Lykon, hovering over him. “I would rather stay by your side.”

Lykon frowned, slid his arm around Dexios’s waist, and pulled his weight down on him. “You do not speak sense. They will expect us back at home. We have duties awaiting us that have been long ignored.”

“Duties that others have taken up while we fought to keep them safe.” Dexios could not deny the want inside of him anymore. Not after the fierce fighting earlier today. Not after seeing Lykon fall and thinking the worst. The vivid memory still chilled him, the image etched behind his eyes of the enemy standing over his lover, spear poised to take his life. Somehow Dexios had found the divine strength to get to him, to stop the blow.

He slid his arms under Lykon, held him close and reassured himself with the heat of his body. Why was Lykon not bothered by the same memories? Mere moments after his own close encounter with death, Lykon had saved him in return by shoving him out of the way and blocking a lethal strike to Dexios’s unguarded back.

They had both almost died this day. For what, so they could part after their friendship had changed into a relationship far more profound? He loved Lykon. Dexios had not believed himself capable of such deep emotion until he had found Lykon. The fate he wanted for them did not include living apart and never seeing one another.“What is it you are trying to say?” Lykon pushed him aside and sat up, bracing his hands behind him as he looked at Dexios with his brows drawn together and a slight grimace twisting his lips. “Speak your thoughts plainly. Do you wish for us to join a mercenary unit to find another battle? I have no desire for more bloodshed. We have been fighting for years now. We’ve done what we set out to do. Our families and lands are safe.”

“No more fighting.” Dexios was done with seeing Lykon in danger, of tending to his wounds, and having his own wounds stitched closed by Lykon. “If we both go home we will not see each other again. At least not often enough for what I want.”

Dexios knelt up in front of Lykon. His heart pounded, his chest tightened. “You know what is in my heart, Lykon, how I feel about you. You have said that you feel the same. Is it true?”

Lykon stretched out his hand and cupped Dexios’s jaw. “I do. Don’t doubt that. I do not wish to think of what may happen on the morrow or the day after. You worry too much about the past and the future. Only the here and now matters. Love me here and let me love you in return.”

Playing Ball - Baseball Anthology

I love baseball, but that's no surprise there :-D. For me there's nothing like spending a summer night
at a game, enjoying the heat and the rivalries. I'm lucky that a minor league stadium was built within biking distance of my house and the tickets are very affordable. I don't get to go to a major league game as often as I would like.Last fall I got into a conversation with some other big baseball fans and the idea of an anthology was born. Last night Shae, Kerry, Kate and I received our edits so we're hard at work polishing these bad boys up so it'll be out in time for post-season madness. :-DSo just a little teaser, but these are the blurbs for the stories in our anthologies.

Home Field Advantage By Shae ConnorCollege student Toby MacMillan, grandson of Atlanta Braves owner Ray MacMillan, works with the team’s locker room crew during the baseball season. It’s there that he meets Caleb Browning, who’s getting his first shot at the big leagues, and Toby, who’s been trying to keep his sexuality under wraps, finds himself smitten. An innocent dinner soon turns into a not-so-innocent night together in Caleb’s bed, but Toby quickly calls things off, afraid of the ramifications of their tryst.Unable to avoid each other because of their jobs, the two men develop a tentative friendship, but it soon becomes more. After Caleb takes a fastball to the head during a game, Toby’s presence at his hospital bedside catches the attention of more than just the medical staff. Their budding romance hits the news, and Toby’s grandfather threatens to cut Toby out of team ownership unless he denies it. Facing a choice between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it, Toby has to decide if he’s ready to make a stand.

One Last Road Trip By Kerry FreemanAfter the last game of his major league career, Jake Wilson is hitting the road, and he’s making a few stops along the way. He has an ex-wife with a new life in New Mexico, a son following in his footsteps in Oklahoma, a daughter with an announcement in Tennessee, and the gamble of a lifetime in Georgia. In 2,500 miles, his life will completely change, and he can only hope that his visit to his first love will cause everything to change for the better.
Wild Pitch ByMarguerite LabbeFor as long as Ruben Martell has known him, he’s been in love with his best friend Alan Hartner. They played together, traveled together and publicly dueled on opposite teams. Now years later they’re both retired from the Major Leagues, are running a business together and coaching rival Little League teams. And in all those years, Ruben hasn’t given up hope that Alan might return his feelings one day, but now he’s starting to believe that Alan will never chose to move beyond the memory of his late wife.
Alan quit the game at the height of his career to take care of his sons and the one constant he’s been able to rely on is Ruben. In all that time he has tried to forget about the night everything changed, only being with Ruben on a day-to-day basis is weakening his resolve. They’d stepped over the line before and it had hurt their friendship and left Alan with a guilt he didn’t know how to handle. Alan doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that friendship now even if it mean denying the feelings he’s kept locked away for so long.
One Man to Remember By Kate McMurrayIn the summer of 1927, all anyone in New York can talk about is Babe Ruth and the Yankees’ Murderer’s Row, the unstoppable batting lineup that no other team can beat. Skip Littlefield, an infielder for the less flashy New York Giants, is happy to let the Babe take the spotlight, even as he starts hitting as well as Ruth himself. Sports journalist Walter Selby has gained a reputation for being something of a dandy. He’s a force to be reckoned with, too, as one of the most dynamic voices in the daily papers. And now he can’t help but notice the talented first baseman helping the Giants race for the pennant. Then he meets the man and is left breathless—Skip is talented, soft-spoken, and also incredibly handsome. And Walt quickly comes to understand why Skip wants to stay out of the spotlight.
Against the backdrop of the lights of Times Square, the excitement of the era, and some of the most incredible baseball anyone has ever played, Skip starts to fall for Walt. But no one can know. Skip’s only hope is that the more charismatic stars will draw attention away from the quite romance blooming between Skip and Walt, or else Skip’s whole career and everything he loves is at stake.