NineStar Press discussion

A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer



History says the Knights Templar were destroyed in 1307.
History is wrong.

Vampires haunt the sewers beneath Rome, revenants desecrate graveyards, ghouls devour helpless passersby, and incubi stalk dark alleys and seedy nightclubs in Italy’s capital. Deep in the Vatican, a brotherhood exists, sworn protectors of the earth, and they stand firm against monsters from the dark depths. Operating in secret and silence, they protect our world from the sinister, the etheric, and the evils that exist beyond the Veil.

But it’s a lonely life, and Alain Autenberg knows that more than most. His lover was ripped from him years ago, and he vowed never to get close to another soul again. Even when the loneliness presses down on him, and his empty heart cries out for something more.

Something more comes in Cristoph Hasse, a new soldier arriving in Rome to serve in the Pontifical Swiss Guard. Young, brash, and fitting in at right angles everywhere he goes, Cris struggles in the murky, deceptive labyrinth of the Vatican. Propelled forward by a past he can’t understand, Cris collides with Alain, and both men crash headfirst into the darkest secret of the Vatican…and of the world.

Purchase Link: A Time to Rise

Perilous by Cari Z.



In 1803, England declares war on France, staking the fates of two mighty empires against one another. Thousands of men serve in the British navy, hungry for distinction in the battle against Bonaparte.

One of them, Lieutenant Thomas Williams, thinks he knows what he wants out of life: prize money at sea, a career of decent note, and the means to maintain his independence when he leaves the navy. What he finds is service under Captain Christopher Knightly: a tactical genius, inveterate charmer, and the youngest son of a wealthy noble house.

Their unexpected and perilous love affair is a gamble against the odds, for in a time of war, nothing is sure to last. If the French don’t tear them apart, one slip in front of the wrong eyes or ears might. When the demands of Christopher’s family take him from Thomas’s side, he thinks it might be the best thing for his captain. Little does Tom realize just how far Christopher will go to return to him, and when life takes a turn for the worse, how much further he will go to save him.

Purchase Link: Perilous

Gotta Dance with the One Who Brung Ya: sex, scandals and sweethearts by Jon McDonald



sex, scandals and sweethearts

In 19th century Boston, a handsome young tutor finds himself the object of more attention than he can comfortably handle. In post-World War Two Japan, a retired serviceman looks back on his forbidden love for a fellow pilot. In Miami, a gay detective pits his wits against a cunning fraudster. And a harassed career woman discovers that all manner of mishaps can befall you if you neglect to brush your teeth…

This collection of 18 short stories, by turns humorous, poignant and chilling, explores the lives and loves of an unforgettable cast of characters as they search for acceptance in a world that doesn’t always understand them.

Purchase Link: Gotta Dance with the One Who Brung Ya

The Seed by Jon McDonald



Ed Perez wants the simple things in life: a mass of riches through any means possible, a new and mysterious mistress, and unquestioning adoration from the mainstream media. Since he’s the new U.S. president, that shouldn’t be a big thing to ask for…

Or, it wouldn’t be if people stopped getting in the way of his ruthless schemes. A wronged head of security; a beautiful Brazilian woman hiding a tragic secret; and a rich CEO pulling Ed’s strings behind the scenes are the least of his worries.

He’s also got to worry about his brain-dead trophy wife; a slightly unhinged and thoroughly eccentric dictator; and his gay son, Diego, whose environmental activism won’t allow him to stand by and watch his father profit from the decimation of the earth—even though it means Diego’s putting his own life and the life of the people he loves most in danger.

Centered around a colorful and diverse group of characters, Jon McDonald’s The Seed is a tangled tale of politics, greed, murder and the struggle for power.

Purchase Link: The Seed

Wrestling for Top: The Complete Collection by Jack Stevens



Handsome wrestler Terry ‘Kid Bacchus’ Ryan is popular with the fans in the ring and with the men in the bedroom. But faced with dwindling audiences and fierce competition in Britain, Terry gambles on a tour of Europe with ‘uncle’ Doug, three wrestling buddies, and an unexpected sponsor, the masked wrestler Johnny Deuce.

Abroad, Terry and his team score on the mats and between the sheets, catching the eye of influential wrestler/promoter Yves Montaigne, who is eager to make Terry a star and lover.

But even as success beckons, Terry is drawn into a world of dark and dangerous sexual fantasies, and to save himself and his wrestling family, Terry must find out who his real enemies are. Are they linked to the death of his father years ago? What part did Doug play in that? And above all, who really is the man behind the Johnny Deuce mask?

Purchase Link: Wrestling for Top: The Complete Collection