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Books By R.L. Merrill
Word Count: 97000
Summary: Even a pacifist vampire can be pushed too far. Threatening his love is a hard limit. Vampire Creed Lowell’s life was altered fifty years ago at the hands of an ancient being known only as The Source, right before rogue members of the cult he belonged to destroyed their way of life. Just as Creed discovers the identity of the responsible party for that terrible tragedy, temptation is placed in his path in the form of grad student Roman San Angelo, a stubborn, proud, infuriating man who’s everything Creed ever wanted in a partner. When Creed’s past catches up to them, Roman is snatched from his grasp and Creed is forced into hiding, saddled with the care of his former mentor. He’s the only one strong enough to heal them and prevent a catastrophic event, though his rage builds the longer he’s kept from his love. When Roman’s safety is threatened once more, the two are finally reunited, and Creed is devastated to see the physical effects of Roman’s run-in with The Source. He wants nothing more than to secret Roman away and share whatever time they have left on this Earth in peace. But once again, Creed is forced to sacrifice everything when an old enemy sets their sights on his unique genetic makeup and skills. This time, it’s Creed who’s taken, and Roman will do whatever it takes to rescue him, even if it means trusting the being that nearly ended his life. With the help of Roman’s long-suffering uncle, a determined FBI agent, and a mysterious benefactor with a multitude of resources at his disposal, they’ll need to bring down a shadowy financial powerhouse and put an end to their villainy before it’s too late for Creed to have a life with his beloved. Moonwish is a continuation of the events in Sundowners and the books should be read in order. The events of this story are resolved by the end, but Roman and Creed will continue to work towards a resolution of the series’ story arc in future books. For readers 18 and over.
Word Count: 95000
Summary: Sixties folk singer Dane Donovan vanished from a desolate highway rest area in 1979. Forty years later, he’s found hitchhiking in the California desert on a cold winter’s night. He hasn’t aged a day, but the roadmap of scars he wears tells a chilling tale. Veteran detective Walter Muse took over Dane’s missing persons case twenty years ago, but his haunting connection to Dane Donovan goes back to a peculiar run-in as a child with The Troubadour and his Talking Board at a traveling carnival. He receives a late-night call with Dane’s whereabouts and races to Laurel Canyon to see for himself whether Dane is real — or a ghost meant to taunt Walter and his somewhat precarious hold on his sanity. Walter’s carefully honed detective instincts are thrown out the window, however, when his obsession with the case develops into an undeniable attraction to the mysterious singer. Dane is on a mission to stop a new killer hell-bent on picking up where Dane’s kidnapper left off, and Walter is determined to protect him, no matter the personal and psychological cost. They’ll have to rely on new friends and trusted colleagues as well as the power of a mystical spirit board to stop the killing, and have a chance at a real future together. You Can Save Me is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. All books may be read as a standalone, but this book is a continuation of the events in You Can Do Magic. Recommended 18+ and TW for violence and mention of suicide of a family member.
Word Count: 80k
Summary: From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic. WINNER of the Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewers Choice Award and FINALIST in The North Texas Romance Writers' Carolyn contest. Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen. Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour. An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But personal secrets and the music business make relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire. You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: From the author of the supernatural suspense series Gifted (Healer, Connection) comes a new queer paranormal romance series. Praise for Connection: "The romance element is complemented nicely by the relentless action and adventure throughout, creating an emotionally intense and page-turning narrative...A fast-paced and fun fusion of supernatural romance and mainstream thriller." ~Kirkus Vampire Creed Lowell drifts from town to town working with the elderly as a night nurse and looking to avenge his harrowing past. His youth and vitality make him a favorite of his patients and his gifts bring them peace. At long last he’s arrived in the place where he hopes to find the truth about those who betrayed him…but first he finds an unexpected love with a man who might understand him—or end him. Grad student Roman San Angelo is struggling to handle his courses, teaching schedule, and research for his dissertation on an obscure cult. He spends every spare moment with his beloved yet demanding grandmother Frances who’s recently moved to an assisted living facility—and he’s fascinated by her night nurse, who is able to bring out the inner light which had faded during her battle with dementia. Something about Creed doesn’t add up, however, Roman finds himself fighting an undeniable attraction. His concerns multiply when Roman discovers a connection between Creed and a bizarre series of vampire-wannabe assaults in the area. A moment of weakness leads to a night of passion between them, and the promise of something more, and yet Roman can’t shake his concern that Creed is not what he seems. Creed knows better than to bring a mortal into his world, even one who could help him find the link between the pack of violent vampires preying on the people of Santa Cruz and Creed’s past. When he discovers Creed’s secret, Roman is ready to step outside his comfort zone and accept everything a life with a vampire entails, and when Creed disappears, Roman will go to the ends of the earth to find the man who brought the light back to his grandmother and the warmth back to his own heart. *This book contains violence and sexual content. It is meant for audiences 18+
Word Count: 120000
Summary: From the author of Healer comes Connection, a 2023 Daphne Du Maurier finalist. Connection is a tale of supernatural suspense in which one man's search for redemption pits him against a cunning religious leader and his community who are preparing for a violent end of the world. Retired Army Captain Jackson Howe views his ability to "connect" with others as invasive and inconvenient, but he deals with it by only using his power to help others. He's found purpose at Havenhart Academy using art therapy with child victims of trauma and his friends have embraced him and his quirky behavior, but after meeting Delaney's friend Cassidy—and developing a stronger than usual "connection" with her—he fears he's destined to forever be on the outside looking in. But when Cassidy's link to Havenhart makes her a target and the plane she's flying is hijacked, she's forced to crashland in the Florida Everglades and becomes a pawn in the struggle between good and evil. Jackson will call on his training—and special skills—to save her from an enemy determined to spread evil and hurt those Jackson holds dear. Follow the continuing saga of Havenhart Academy in Book Two of the Gifted Series. 18+ for violence and language. Best read after Healer: Gifted Book One
Word Count: 129000
Summary: WANTED: Counselor for child trauma victims at scenic boarding school in northern Arkansas. Must be open-minded, flexible, and ready to travel at a moment's notice. Patience, extreme vigilance, and discretion required. Generous compensation guaranteed. Veteran teacher and counselor Delaney Frost accepts a job at Havenhart Academy and soon learns that not only are her new charges “gifted," but that within her resides a power so rare and precious, it can be used to heal others. When danger arrives at the academy gates, Delaney and her mysterious yet alluring boss will fight to protect the children from a megalomaniac out for revenge and the destruction of all she holds dear. Welcome to Havenhart Academy.
