Meredith Shayne

Books

On sale now:

Novels (>60,000 words)

Cutting Out, available from Bottom Drawer Publications in ebook and paperback

Blurb:

A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.

 Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.

 As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatise, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun.

Metal Heart, available from Dreamspinner Press in ebook and paperback

Blurb:

Scott King swore off rock stardom after his band, King Phoenix, crashed and burned. Now in his forties, Scott lives a quiet life as a music producer and session guitarist. But in a box hidden in his wardrobe lie the relics of the past he left behind—a past filled with drugs, booze, and broken hearts. For sixteen years, Scott has had no contact with his former bandmates, so when he’s asked to play at a benefit gig for King Phoenix’s old sound man, his world turns upside down. A King Phoenix reunion means a run-in with Scott’s ex, Ash Walker—and sixteen years ago, believing Ash wanted to leave the band, Scott OD’d and almost died. 

Since then, Scott has ruthlessly suppressed his feelings. As a result, he’s completely unprepared for the impact of seeing Ash again, or for dealing with his emotions about the band’s demise. He definitely didn’t expect Ash to want to start up where they left off. Now Scott has to decide between his safe existence and the twenty-year-old love song that could cost him his sobriety—and his heart.

Equilibrium, available from Dreamspinner Press in ebook and paperback

Blurb:

Welcome to Burreela, New South Wales. Population: more animals than humans. Although most (human) occupants are trying to get out of Burreela, the tiny town is the perfect place for veterinarian Michael Stone to break out of the bad habits that almost cost him the most meaningful part of his life: his profession.

Michael is struggling to regain his balance after hard personal losses and two years of promiscuity and drug abuse. He’s not prepared to meet Ryan Mitchell, a nice guy who won’t take no for an answer, whose patient pursuit leaves Michael less and less inclined to keep refusing. But Michael’s bad habits aren’t that far behind him. Can Michael hold himself together enough to be the man Ryan needs, or will he lose his equilibrium while trying to be man enough to hold on to the one he loves?

Novellas (15,000-60,000 words)

Whitewater, available from Dreamspinner Press as a standalone ebook, or in paperback as part of the Under the Southern Cross anthology.

Blurb:

Baker Luke Henderson loves his job, and owning a bakery at Coogee Beach makes it even better. When he opens the shop before dawn, he hears the waves. When he walks along the beach after sunrise, he admires the surfers—one in particular: Cameron Brown. A chef and café owner, Cameron secretly watches Luke right back. When Luke proposes a business deal, Cameron seizes the chance to get close. But Cameron’s ideal man is physically perfect, and Luke’s awkward limp could be the flaw that fractures their romance.

Short Stories (<15,000 words)

Tinsel and Dust, an Equilibrium Christmas story.

Available from Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Michael Stone has returned to Burreela and has just started to settle back in and look forward to Christmas when his sister Jen rings him with a problem. His nephew Jack is convinced that Santa won’t find them if they’re staying in Burreela’s only motel. With Michael’s flat way too small to accommodate Jen and her family, he has no alternative but to take Ryan Mitchell up on an offer to let them stay at his house. After all, Ryan argues, they’re going to be there for Christmas Day anyway, so it’s not much extra trouble. Though Michael is still wrestling with internal demons, the holiday will prove to Ryan that there’s a core of strength and courage to Michael that few people ever see.

Reasonable Force, originally published as part of the Torquere Press anthology The Care and Feeding of Demons. Now available from JMS Books. (Note: this version is not significantly different from the anthology version; owners of the anthology need not buy it again)

Blurb:

Daniel is a demon hunter, a member of an ancient order with God-given powers sworn to protect humans from these creatures. Grieving the sudden death of his fellow hunter — and secret lover — David, Daniel is bent on self-destruction, craving casual, back-alley sex with strangers and plunging into danger without thought for himself or the Order brethren who come to his rescue. His antics attract the attention of more than just his Order members; the demon Korim, a warrior and an Earl of Hell, commander of demon legions and more than a match for Daniel, has his eye on the hunter, and his is an interest not easily discouraged. When circumstances throw demon and hunter together, sparks fly. Soon beating each other to a pulp becomes their favorite sport, and Daniel hasn’t felt so alive since David died. When their aggression turns to lust, Korim begins to open Daniel’s eyes, causing him to question the long-held beliefs that have fuelled his reckless behavior. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, Daniel finds his change in attitude may have come too late to save him.

Out of Print:

The Care and Feeding of Demons anthology from Torquere Press

Rust Red: Galvanized, previously available from Torquere Press