Hearts of Metal Series

When Kinley Black becomes a roadie for Viciöus, beginning a foray into the unglamorous, male-dominated world of heavy metal, she won't escape with her pride or heart intact.   It's hard to be one of the guys…   Kinley Black, co-owner of a metal fan site, is dying to get back into the music industry. The opportunity arrives when her interview with Quinn Mayne, lead singer of her favorite band, Viciöus, goes off the rails. If she can beat up a pervy roadie, she can have his job. Kinley has no problem with hard work or being one of the guys. But fighting her attraction to Quinn is a bigger challenge.   When he makes her feel like such a girl...   Quinn is furious with his road manager for hiring Kinley. Taking a beautiful woman on the road was like dangling meat above a pack of feral hounds. Despite his reluctance, he can't help being impressed by his new roadie's strength and determination any more than he can suppress his urge to protect her when a crewmember's hostility escalates. As Viciöus's tour across the country progresses, Quinn's fury and frustration fall away, only to be replaced with a burning desire, with the promise of something deeper. Subgenres: rockstar romance, workplace romance, contemporary romance, new adult romance Tropes: secret romance, alpha hero, strong heroine, only one bed, damaged heroine, get it out of our systems, rockstar hero, road trip romance, forced proximity, fighting attraction, college-age heroine

A struggle between business and pleasure is further challenged by secret identities and a malicious enemy.   SHE HAS A MISSION   Katana James's dreams come true when she gets to audition for the new lead guitarist for her favorite band, Bleeding Vengeance. Kat knows the odds are against her with her gender, her anxiety disorder, and her crush on the lead singer. But as soon as she overcomes two of those challenges, two more come up: First, her infatuation with the singer fades away only for the brilliant, kind, and mysterious Klement Burke, the bassist, to set her heart aflame. Then she becomes the target of a malicious stalker.   HE HAS A SECRET   Klement Burke, the brains behind Bleeding Vengeance, has a huge secret. He didn't offer Katana James an audition to repay a favor owed. The real reason he recruited Kat is because he already knew of her talent, since he's been providing tech support for Kat's website for years. He's confident that he can suppress his attraction to her—until he meets her in person. When Kat's car is sabotaged, causing him to invite her to stay in his mansion with the rest of the band, so is Klement's willpower to keep things professional between them. Now he has to figure out how to keep her in his band and in his life, protect her from a crazed stalker, and reveal his true identity.   Subgenres: rockstar romance, workplace romance, new adult rock star romance, new adult romance   Tropes: cinnamon roll hero, nerd hero, friends to lovers, colleagues to lovers, secret identity, secret romance, rockstar hero, rock star heroine

Most rock stars would be revolted if a homeless woman fainted in their arms. Dante Deity is not most rock stars.   THE ROMANCE WRITER   Shayna Gray is fleeing her past. Tragedy, infidelity, heartbreak: the midlist romance author has suffered it all. She was strong enough to run, like a spunky heroine from one of her novels, and soon she'll be flying…just as soon as she can walk again. After walking from Portland to Sacramento, Shayna wakes up in the hospital with famous rock star, Dante Deity offering to take her to his mansion to recuperate. Unlike her abusive ex-husband or her bullying mother, Dante is determined she succeed. As he helps her recover from her grief and get her writing back, a romance worthy of her novels blooms. But Shayna knows that they can't have a healthy loving relationship until she learns to stand on her own.   AND THE ROCK GOD   Dante Deity is revered by everyone who knows anything about heavy metal music, and he's respected by everyone else. Rich, handsome, and successful, he has a voice like velvet-wrapped lightning. He juggles numerous philanthropic ventures while cranking out hits. When he's on tour, music is his life. When he's taking a break, he's thinking about his next tour—or working on a project that helps him forget he's alone. When an unconscious woman falls into his arms, Dante embarks on the biggest project of his life. Saving a damsel in distress quickly becomes a secondary mission when he realizes that his heart is on the line.

An interracial death metal Christmas Romance   Curtis Scrimm, who dropped out of the band Viciӧus to check into rehab is finally clean. All he wants is to spend Christmas alone. Thanks to a brochure he found back at the rehab clinic, he has a cabin booked at Yellowstone. But when he arrives at the gorgeous winter wonderland, his mission of solitude is thwarted when he encounters death metal vocalist, Dezra Hopkins in the cabin next door. They'd met in rehab and it was her brochure he'd found.   Dezra is at first irritated at Curt's intruding on her perfect Christmas getaway. But since she's looking to form a new band after leaving her old one in disgrace, she sees Curt as an opportunity. That is, if she can lure him to the dark side of death metal, and if she can fight her growing attraction to him.   When Curt rescues Dezra from a blizzard and heals her hypothermia, their chemistry sparks to a flaming inferno. But when the festive and sensual holiday interlude comes to an end, real life challenges threaten to destroy the beautiful connection they've only begun to forge.

He was everything she was told to stay away from.   SHE'S OFF-LIMITS   Christine Mayne is determined to get out from under her controlling brother's thumb. To do so, she plans to earn her PhD from studying group dynamics in heavy metal bands, and then become a band therapist. The problem is that Quinn Mayne, has barred her from the metal world because of a traumatic event in her past. The opportunity to study a band comes when Cliff Tracey, lead singer of Bleeding Vengeance doesn't recognize her. Christine tricks him into smuggling her onto the bus to accompany the band on their tour. When he discovers her deception, he's furious. Christine tells herself that her efforts to talk to him are for her research and not because she's drawn to his sensual presence.   HE'S FORBIDDEN   Cliff Tracey is going through an existential crisis. Suddenly having a different one-night-stand after every gig has lost its appeal. He's ready to get rid of his man-whore label and try getting to know a woman. When black-haired, green-eyed bombshell Christine asks him if she can accompany his band on tour for her research, he thinks the perfect opportunity has fallen into his lap—until he finds out that she's Quinn Mayne's off-limits little sister. Despite his efforts to keep her at arm's length, Cliff finds himself unable to stay away from Christine. But he has to. Because if he gives in to temptation, he'll cause the biggest rift in metal history.   Subgenres: rockstar romance, new adult romance, workplace romance, college romance Tropes: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, secret romance, bad boy hero, best friend's little sister, damaged heroine, light bondage, groveling hero, angsty romance, rock star hero, celebrity hero

THE ROCKSTAR NEXT DOOR   Roderick Powell, drummer of Bleeding Vengeance, is delighted to have left LA and move into a beautiful new home in a Denver suburb. But as he sees all of his bandmates' happiness after finding love, he wonders if having a place of his own is enough. When he meets the hot nurse next door, Rod is smitten. She gives him the brush-off, but he's determined to woo her.   AND THE CRAZY CAT LADY NURSE   Twice divorced and working brutal hours as an ER nurse, Gwen Mason resigned to a life alone with her four cats. When a sexy rock star moves next door, it takes all of her willpower to resist the younger man's charms. Her resolve is shattered when trouble with the city council throws her and Rod together. One night in his arms, and she's in danger of losing her heart. Subgenres: rockstar romance, rock star romance, age gap romance, older woman younger man romance, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, medical romance Tropes: reverse age gap, older woman younger man, cinnamon roll hero, cat-lovers, friends to lovers, British nobility, foodie hero, low angst romance, feel good romance, hurt comfort

Bassist Brand and filmmaker Lexi have both suffered traumatic pasts, but together, they can heal and have a happy future.   THE GRUMPY BASSIST   Brand Kife, bassist for heavy metal band, Viciöus, is known in the metal world as "the man who never smiles." He has even less reason to smile when he learns that his band's tour is going to be disrupted by beautiful filmmaker, Lexi Adams, who's making a documentary about Viciöus. Brand has secrets that Lexi can't learn.   AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN   Former child beauty pageant winner, Lexi Adams resists her mother's pressuring her to become a model and is instead determined to be a successful filmmaker. She's thrilled to film a documentary on one of her favorite metal bands, but Brand Kife is making her work difficult. First by being uncooperative in interviews, then by distracting her with his sinful good looks and aura of mystery. When they give in to temptation, Lexi wants to learn about Brand's traumatic past, but first, she will have to trust him with her own.   Subgenres: rockstar romance, rock star romance, enemies to lovers romance, contemporary romance, romcom, workplace romance, road trip romance Tropes: damaged hero, grumpy hero, scarred hero, damaged heroine, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, secret affair, good grovel, angsty