New Book with Samhain!

I'm so excited to announce that I've signed my sixth contract with Samhain Publishing for THE TRUTH AS HE KNOWS IT, which is tentatively scheduled to release in February 2015. TRUTH is a spinoff from my COST OF REPAIRS series, still set around Stratton, PA, with the focus also shifting to Harrisburg and other nearby towns. So this one is "Perspectives #1/Cost of Repairs #6".

TRUTH brings back Officer Noel Carlson, seen briefly near the end of ACTS OF FAITH (Cost of Repairs #4), and gives him quite the challenge in Jody "Shane" McShane. Shane will be introduced in a short story I hope to post for free sometime this summer, before the release of FOUNDATION OF TRUST (Cost of Repairs #5). The short story is all Schuyler and David's fault (trust me). And TRUTH wouldn't be a CoR book without a small Samuel cameo.

Like usual, I'm posting the blurb I used when I sent the book to my editor. This is not the official book blurb.

Have I mentioned I'm excited about this book? It made my editor Tweet "I hate you for this" at me (don't worry, it's a good thing).

Noel Carlson is stuck in a routine that is as comfortable as it is stifling. A young police officer with no family to support, Noel's overnight first watch shifts conflict with the social schedules of guys his age, so he spends most of his time alone.  He isn't out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania—only his distant family and a few out-of-town friends know he's gay—so a relationship is out of the question. But that doesn't stop him from wanting one.

 Jody "Shane" McShane is stuck in a different kind of rut. He lives in a cheap trailer with his older brother Jason, who works two jobs to pay their bills and keep them both fed. Shane helps out by working at Mineo's Deli as often as they'll have him, and by moonlighting as a private party stripper. Neither he nor Jason have much time for a social life. They each blame themselves for the debt they're struggling to overcome, and any discussion of past mistakes inevitably leads to an argument no one ever wins.
 

When Noel rescues a half-naked stripper from a birthday party gone wrong, he can't get the gorgeous Shane out of his mind. A fortuitous run-in with Shane leads to a non-date of hot sex and takeout food, and a strong bond is forged that neither man expects—or knows what to do with. Shane's soul is bogged down by the weight of painful secrets that continue to strain his relationship with his brother and test the limits of Noel's patience. After Jason's health is threatened by his overwhelming workload, Shane is determined to take some of the burden onto himself and pay off their collective debt—no matter what it costs him in the end.

And because I can't help it, this is the photo I found on Tumblr that inspired the entire book: