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Elody Lorrent’s heart was fused to another at an early age. But what happens when life takes a tragic turn and she’s left behind to pick up the pieces?
Burying her husband found a way to bury her soul as well. Elody now lives for her kids. Her chance at love was lost the moment her husband took his last breath. She never saw her future by someone else’s side. The only thing she didn’t account for was the grumpy parent of one of her students.
Wyatt was never known for his warm personality. His world consisted of hockey and his daughter. The only issue was his daughter’s teacher took hold of his heart in an unexpected way.
When Elody and Wyatt’s world collides, Elody fights the love that blossoms because she doesn’t trust the harsh realities that come along with living. She can’t give her heart to another after all the pain she endured. She lived on top of the world and everything collapsed. Wyatt didn’t understand that reality.
If only he fell…
Prior to becoming an author, Stefanie had written for years on blogging platforms. She is a registered nurse with years of experience working with families starting their journey into the parenting world. She started writing as a way to connect with families. After releasing her first memoir in May 2023, she felt a pull towards writing romance. Her love of the genre is something she is highly invested in as a reviewer and cheerleader for authors all around. Stefanie debuts her romance writing career with If Only You Knew in November 2023. She is shining a light on romance characters that are in their forties, something she feels is not easy to find in the genre. Stefanie resides in Southern California, with her husband, two kids, and their Cavalier King Charles dog.
Keep up with Stefanie and subscribe to her newsletter: https://authorstefaniecastro.com/contact/
To learn more about Stefanie Castro & her books, visit here!
Can you love yourself enough? Are you capable of it?
Step into the small & intriguing Midwestern town of Larton where Lloyd Wood struggles daily with reviving his failing restaurant while refusing to relinquish any control, even in his family life. When a business guru arrives and promises to set the restaurant right, Lloyd is tempted by the promise of a miraculous turnaround.
Toby, Lloyd's son, seeks conformity compulsively. Each day, he audits and buries his true self deeper, yearning to fade into obscurity, anonymity. His desperation leads him to a program that vows to obliterate his authentic self, setting Toby on an unintended and riveting path of self-discovery.
Meanwhile, Dawn, Lloyd's wife, finds solace in a new church where love is not just a sentiment but a commodity. Lost in her family's shadow, she embraces a new identity amidst her new church family whose intentions seem questionable at best.
As the Wood family strives to escape their own truths, the chasms they create around themselves deepen and, one by one, threaten to swallow the people they care about most.
'Be Not Afraid' explores identity, family dynamics, the destructive paradox of denial & with a distinct strength in voice questions our capacity to accept what we cannot change...or can we?
TOBY AND DAWN WAITED in the doctor’s office. She’d picked him up from Jonah’s that morning, and he had been quiet in the car and at the house, and then quiet again to the doctor’s office in town.
The sign above the reception window read Dr. E.M. Gille, MD.
‘How you feeling, hon?’ Dawn said. She had a magazine in her lap, and she was rubbing Toby’s back. ‘How’s your stomach? Want to describe it to me?’
‘No.’
‘If you describe it to me, it’ll be easier to tell the doctor.’
‘It’s fine right now,’ Toby said. He was watching the TV on a stand tucked in the corner. The news was on. Another eyewitness had seen an angel outside town.”
“A nurse came into the waiting room. She was in pink smocks and stood on thick soles. She said, ‘Toby Wood.’
Both Toby and Dawn followed the nurse to an exam room, which she knocked on before allowing entry.
She examined Toby and made him describe the pain.
‘It just hurts sometimes.’
She stunk like cigarettes.
The nurse said the doctor will be right in.
Toby sat on the examination table. The sanitary paper crinkled no matter how he moved or how he settled.
He and Dawn waited for the doctor.
‘Does it hurt now?’ Dawn said.
‘No, Mom.’
They waited, and sometime later, a knock announced the doctor. He was clean shaven with close-cropped hair white as bedsheets. His brows were thick and bushy. His skin was cream and pink and aged. He wore a button-up and tie under his white coat. His teeth and eyes were bright.
‘Heya, Toby,’ he said. He didn’t look at Toby when he said it; he was reading Toby’s chart. He sat and scooted his stool close. ‘You’re having stomach pain.’
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement the doctor read aloud.
Toby quietly confirmed.
The doctor pressed with his fingers into Toby’s stomach and tested areas and asked if that hurt.
Toby said it did not.
‘Pain comes and goes. It’s not that bad.’
‘Out of ten, what would you say?’
‘A two, one and a half. It’s really not that bad.’
‘A two? One and a half?’
‘Tell the doctor when it hurts, hon.’
‘It comes and goes, Mom.’
‘Do you take any pain relievers?’
‘No,’ Toby said.
‘No, he doesn’t,’ Dawn said too.
‘Okay,’ the doctor said. He made notes.
‘He doesn’t always come to me when it hurts. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what it is.’
The doctor’s tone was soft. ‘Well. Sometimes our bodies respond physically to factors within our environment, anxiety, stress, all these can stew in the body and hollow us out,’ the doctor said to Dawn.
She nodded intently.
‘Are you studying too hard? Maybe big tests coming up? Staying up too late with the video games?’
‘I study too hard,’ Toby said. He said it very quickly, almost before the doctor had finished speaking. ‘That must be it, the stress of studying,’ Toby said.
‘Still.’ The doctor rolled the stool close to Dawn. He continued, ‘A boy his age should not have recurring stomach pain. I’d like to send him for testing.’
‘That’s what I said, I didn’t like the frequency of it. Didn’t I say, Toby?’ Dawn said.
‘Testing?’ Toby said.
‘I’d like to rule some things out.’
‘It’s not that bad, really. It’s only sometimes,’ Toby said.
Dawn said whatever test was fine and she agreed, and she asked if it could, maybe, be this or could be that, or, she said, she didn’t really know, Doctor.
‘Could I have you step out for a minute, Mrs. Wood?’
Dawn stepped out, and the doctor shut the door. The doctor had Toby come off the exam table and sit in a chair, and the doctor rolled over on the rolly stool.
He did not speak right away. He was deep in thought, and then he said, ‘Is there anything you have not told your mom, anything you’re worried about that, maybe, you can’t tell mom or dad? Stress is not good for the body. If you’ve kept something to yourself, I won’t say a word to your mom or your dad if you’d like to share it with me. Do you have something you’d like to tell me that you can’t tell them?’
Toby was quiet a very long time. ‘I’m just studying too hard.’
The doctor nodded and waited for more from Toby.
There was no more.
‘Well. Then. Take study breaks, okay? Allow yourself time to relax. Time to be. But I do want to run some tests. Whatever is triggering the pain, we’ll find it out. Okay? I promise, son, we will unearth with absolute certainty what is causing this physical reaction. Even if it takes a while, we’ll uncover the root of it. I can promise that. Okay?’
The doctor went from the room and scheduled Toby’s lab tests with his mother and the receptionist.
Toby sat in the room.
Alone.
He was listening to the doctor’s words over and again.
We’ll find it out. Okay?
I can promise that.
His stomach hurt.
I wish I had more time to marinate on this one, but here it goes. Deep breath because I still feel like I'm coming back to myself. This one is heavy and deep, and a lot of other things. Be Not Afraid is about self, family, a town, and living. The dynamics between it all will keep you flipping page after page, but you may need to take a break because the story is heavy and emotional. The characters and story itself are very well-developed and relatable. And this book will stick with you. It's not one you can just put down and forget about or move on to the next one. It will make you think and marinate. Now, there are a few issues like using ' instead of " for dialogue, but it doesn't distract too much from the story. I'm giving this one 4.5 stars and recommend downloading today.
AJ Saxsma, born in Illinois in 1987, is a queer writer. He lives in Los Angeles with his husky. His literary work has earned awards from Almond Press UK and has been published in several genre magazines. As a screenwriter, his work has been an official selection for the Independent Horror Film Awards, Hollywood Screen Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinefest, and Los Angeles Horror Competition. He's also written the narrative scripts for four video game projects produced by Oculus for the Oculus VR system.
Elody Lorrent’s heart was fused to another at an early age. But what happens when life takes a tragic turn and she’s left behind to pick up the pieces?
Burying her husband found a way to bury her soul as well. Elody now lives for her kids. Her chance at love was lost the moment her husband took his last breath. She never saw her future by someone else’s side. The only thing she didn’t account for was the grumpy parent of one of her students.
Wyatt was never known for his warm personality. His world consisted of hockey and his daughter. The only issue was his daughter’s teacher took hold of his heart in an unexpected way.
When Elody and Wyatt’s world collides, Elody fights the love that blossoms because she doesn’t trust the harsh realities that come along with living. She can’t give her heart to another after all the pain she endured. She lived on top of the world and everything collapsed. Wyatt didn’t understand that reality.
If only he fell…
Prior to becoming an author, Stefanie had written for years on blogging platforms. She is a registered nurse with years of experience working with families starting their journey into the parenting world. She started writing as a way to connect with families. After releasing her first memoir in May 2023, she felt a pull towards writing romance. Her love of the genre is something she is highly invested in as a reviewer and cheerleader for authors all around. Stefanie debuts her romance writing career with If Only You Knew in November 2023. She is shining a light on romance characters that are in their forties, something she feels is not easy to find in the genre. Stefanie resides in Southern California, with her husband, two kids, and their Cavalier King Charles dog.
Keep up with Stefanie and subscribe to her newsletter: https://authorstefaniecastro.com/contact/
To learn more about Stefanie Castro & her books, visit here!
Audio Tour & Excerpt: Lonely Diner Written & Narrated by Dann Hazel
Some Like It Haute! Book 3
Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)
One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost best friend with benefits.
Everyone thought they were meant for each other. Lance, an Air Force computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college professor, are gay men blinded by the painful wounds of their past decisions. Both men are ready for love. But because of their pasts, they’ve slammed the brakes on their desires.
Now thirty years old, a younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and kids. Though he acknowledges that he can never be straight, he is convinced that with effort, determination, alcohol and erectile dysfunction meds, he can play the necessary roles.
Vikki, Ryan’s girlfriend in high school and now his wife, begs to differ.
At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From Lance’s perspective, there’s a spark in their arrangement that Randy denies. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-have-beens.” Finally forcing himself into the dating scene, Lance discovers that Mr. Right is more elusive than he ever imagined.
Then, Callie Yenti, transwoman, drag performer extraordinaire and entrepreneur, enters the picture. She owns the popular Lonely Diner and possesses an uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.
Even the complicated hearts of her two hard-headed friends, Lance and Ryan.
A HEA gay romance.
Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault and a PTSD episode.
Tropes: Military Romance, Coming Out, Overcoming Adversity, Second Chances.
When I read the blurb for this book, the description pulled me in. I was intrigued. This book is not a review of the audiobook, but a review of the book itself.
I wanted to love this book, and while there were parts that held me captive, there were many parts where I felt like it dragged on. I liked the characters and really liked the push and pull between them. Emotions were high as well, which captivates me. However, I felt like the story needed more of something and there were times it did not hold my attention. Great characters, story is ok, but needed more development.
Soon, the table beside Lance became available. A gorgeous, dark-haired man with biceps on the verge of bursting through his shirt sleeves sat down. Lance noticed that he was drinking Liquid Death, often a signal that a bar patron wished to avoid alcoholic beverages. Lance also noticed that his haircut was similar in style to his own. Lance wondered if the body builder might also be a member of a branch of the military.
Lance’s face turned crimson when the man caught Lance cruising him. Rather than heightening Lance’s embarrassment with silence, the man, who also had a well-conditioned chest and stomach, asked Lance to join him.
Lance noticed the tremor in the man’s voice.
Ah, he’s an introvert, like me, Lance thought.
Lance cast him a beaming smile. “Why not? No need for the two of us to monopolize a pair of tables when one will do.”
Lance grabbed his ale—his third for the evening—and carried it with him as he sat in the chair next to the man. “My name is Lance Dingle,” he said. He reached across the table for a handshake.
“My pleasure, Lance.” A very brief pause. “Wait! I think you’re the fellow the infamous Callie Yenti has been devoting so much time finding a way to introduce us.”
“Holy shit! Then you must be Ryan Ball. Finally, we meet!”
Ryan laughed. “I guess she’s included us both in her match-making scheme.”
“It’s a talent she’s very proud of,” Lance said. “You’re an English professor at The Citadel, right? And before that, you served in the Navy?”
“Damn! She’s thorough.” Then, Ryan reciprocated with a fact of his own. “And I think I remember her saying that you’re an Air Force man.”
“Yep. That’s me. A computer geek. Not a pilot.”
The men chatted about their backgrounds, their experiences in the military and navigating the tricky terrain of being gay in the service, despite the revocation of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Naturally, there were parts of their biographies they were unwilling to share—like the sexual assault in DC and Lance’s torch-carrying for Randy. Lance unwittingly—and because of the buzz the drinks precipitated—came very close to telling Ryan how many physical similarities he and Randy shared. Fortunately, he caught himself before he provided Ryan a very good excuse to abort their conversation.
Then, Ryan popped the same question that was also on Lance’s mind. “Would you be interested in hanging out sometimes? I mean, it’s fine with me to call it a date. Y’know, to see if Callie still has her magic touch.”
But Lance had no chance to respond.
Because a nervous James Manigault appeared at their table, without his cute young diversion, and kissed Lance squarely on the mouth. Lance could taste the rum he’d drunk and smell the pot he and the young man shared before heading to the club.
Then, Lance caught a glimpse of Ryan’s face.
But a look long enough to see that sexy face fill with disappointment, vulnerability and perhaps even distress.
Abruptly, Ryan rose from his chair. It almost toppled over, but Ryan grabbed it on its way to the floor. “I don’t want to intrude,” he said. “I’ll leave you to it. And Lance? It was nice to meet you.”
Now, it was Lance’s voice that quivered. “Likewise, Ryan.”
They shook hands like two businessmen closing a deal. Ryan quickly pulled his hand away and headed toward the exit.
Lance looked with a mixture of anger and annoyance at James, who was now sitting in Ryan’s chair.
And then, James had the fucking nerve to ask if they were still on for their date the next night.
Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years.
Besides writing romance, he has taught high school English and journalism, college psychology and human sexuality, directed federal grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror, literary and gay romance. He has published the Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, including Room for Dessert, My Own Private Biscuit and Lonely Diner.
Nonfiction works include Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front and Moving On: The Gay Man’s Guide for Coping When a Relationship Ends.
Dann’s personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, jogging, Broadway, keeping abreast of current events and travel.
Currently, Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo canine, Flurry.
https://authorstefaniecastro.com/contact/ 
