Hard Wood, Soft Heart
Synopsis...
This is a story of Las Vegas… of a one-night stand turned life-long love… of one man running so hard from his past that he runs headfirst into a man running just as hard away from his future.
A brilliant cardiologist scarred by a bitter divorce, Saul Tidewater has left the memories of his past behind and started a new life in Las Vegas. Dark and dashing, he must fight his surprising lack of self confidence when his long-held and hidden desire to make love to a man will no longer be denied.
Mercer Braun is the man everyone wants. Devilishly handsome with a blinding love for life, the former baseball player could have any man or woman that he wants… but Mercer only wants Saul. A bleak future awaits Mercer, however, and he must fight for his right to meet it on his own terms.
This is the story of two men who have lost their way and stumbled upon forever.
This is the story of a city that gives them the courage to vanquish a past while blazing a future.
This is a story of true love.
Excerpt...
Chapter One: Driven to Extinction
“Saul Tidewater stood on the rooftop overlooking Las Vegas clinging to his heterosexuality by the skin of his teeth...” (page 1)
Chapter Two: Ghost Runners
“Born in St. Louis on a wickedly hot July day, from the very beginning Mercer’s life had been about avoiding the things a man can’t change. Like the blazing hot weather that seemed to follow him around every summer of his childhood, he came to mutely accept the fact that his father only came to visit on the weekends and that his mother rarely smiled at anyone but her little boy…” (page 29)
Chapter Three: Animal Tactics
“Saul Tidewater’s resistance was dead in the water and starting to stink…” (page 44)
Chapter Four: Sugar-Coated Damnation
“Mercer looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Personally, I think you rock the well and truly fucked look…”” (page 64)
Chapter Five: Gentle Obscenity
“As one low, slow song bled away into the next, the men silently stared into each other’s eyes as if searching out and finding their place in the other’s soul.” (page 79)
Chapter Six: Dirty Little Secret
“The road was bumpy. Saul didn’t mention that though. He figured it was fairly obvious. Besides, he really didn’t want to engage the man. Mercer was driving. It was definitely an inappropriate moment to play vacuum cleaner and suck the man’s brains out through his cock like a straw…” (page 96)
Chapter Seven: Behind Dusk’s Curtain
“The weeks passed in a lazy rush of sex and longing… Their moments together during this time were tiny treasures in their own right… memories to hold to in the dark nights to come…” (page 115)
Chapter Eight: Under the Joshua Tree
“The “if you die, I die” Saul left unsaid. He hadn’t come to accept that part yet himself. He wasn’t about to ask Mercer to do it first. (page 131)
Chapter Nine: The Irony of Sirens
“He knew the refuge like the back of his hand and would have no trouble driving out of there in the dark. Besides, he liked watching the million stars pop out of the dark heavens. When he had been a boy he had thought it was some kind of magic trick. He remembered his mother laughed when he’d told her that. He never told her anything like that again.” (page 134)
Chapter Ten: Between the Polite and the Psychotic
“It was a little like watching an old black and white movie stuck on pause. The dark, broken silhouette was not moving.” (page 155)
Chapter Eleven: Creosote Bushes and Bearpoppies
“The key slipped into the lock with surprising ease. Saul was shaking so bad he had feared that he’d need some kind of back up just to get into his door.” (page 162)
This is a story of Las Vegas… of a one-night stand turned life-long love… of one man running so hard from his past that he runs headfirst into a man running just as hard away from his future.
A brilliant cardiologist scarred by a bitter divorce, Saul Tidewater has left the memories of his past behind and started a new life in Las Vegas. Dark and dashing, he must fight his surprising lack of self confidence when his long-held and hidden desire to make love to a man will no longer be denied.
Mercer Braun is the man everyone wants. Devilishly handsome with a blinding love for life, the former baseball player could have any man or woman that he wants… but Mercer only wants Saul. A bleak future awaits Mercer, however, and he must fight for his right to meet it on his own terms.
This is the story of two men who have lost their way and stumbled upon forever.
This is the story of a city that gives them the courage to vanquish a past while blazing a future.
This is a story of true love.
Excerpt...
Chapter One: Driven to Extinction
“Saul Tidewater stood on the rooftop overlooking Las Vegas clinging to his heterosexuality by the skin of his teeth...” (page 1)
Chapter Two: Ghost Runners
“Born in St. Louis on a wickedly hot July day, from the very beginning Mercer’s life had been about avoiding the things a man can’t change. Like the blazing hot weather that seemed to follow him around every summer of his childhood, he came to mutely accept the fact that his father only came to visit on the weekends and that his mother rarely smiled at anyone but her little boy…” (page 29)
Chapter Three: Animal Tactics
“Saul Tidewater’s resistance was dead in the water and starting to stink…” (page 44)
Chapter Four: Sugar-Coated Damnation
“Mercer looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Personally, I think you rock the well and truly fucked look…”” (page 64)
Chapter Five: Gentle Obscenity
“As one low, slow song bled away into the next, the men silently stared into each other’s eyes as if searching out and finding their place in the other’s soul.” (page 79)
Chapter Six: Dirty Little Secret
“The road was bumpy. Saul didn’t mention that though. He figured it was fairly obvious. Besides, he really didn’t want to engage the man. Mercer was driving. It was definitely an inappropriate moment to play vacuum cleaner and suck the man’s brains out through his cock like a straw…” (page 96)
Chapter Seven: Behind Dusk’s Curtain
“The weeks passed in a lazy rush of sex and longing… Their moments together during this time were tiny treasures in their own right… memories to hold to in the dark nights to come…” (page 115)
Chapter Eight: Under the Joshua Tree
“The “if you die, I die” Saul left unsaid. He hadn’t come to accept that part yet himself. He wasn’t about to ask Mercer to do it first. (page 131)
Chapter Nine: The Irony of Sirens
“He knew the refuge like the back of his hand and would have no trouble driving out of there in the dark. Besides, he liked watching the million stars pop out of the dark heavens. When he had been a boy he had thought it was some kind of magic trick. He remembered his mother laughed when he’d told her that. He never told her anything like that again.” (page 134)
Chapter Ten: Between the Polite and the Psychotic
“It was a little like watching an old black and white movie stuck on pause. The dark, broken silhouette was not moving.” (page 155)
Chapter Eleven: Creosote Bushes and Bearpoppies
“The key slipped into the lock with surprising ease. Saul was shaking so bad he had feared that he’d need some kind of back up just to get into his door.” (page 162)