Pride and Persistence

Singlets & Secrets
Pride and Persistence

What are we fighting for if not each other?

After a roller coaster of ups and downs last year, Aiden Rothe starts sophomore year on a high. After all, he's dating the boy of his dreams. What else matters? But Aiden's hopes for a drama-free school year are thrown aside when a new student captures everyone's attention: Michelle, an incredibly athletic, transgender black belt.

Fearing a repeat of last year's bullying, Aiden's karate club reaches out to Michelle, hoping to recruit her. To their surprise, she already has a team. Michelle is training with local police Captain Decker at his MMA studio, the epicenter of LGBTQ+ hatred in and around Washington High. Soon after, Decker and his notorious partner, Washington High Wrestling Coach Krake, announce a new tournament with a $25k college scholarship as the grand prize. For some, like Mateo, it's a crucial opportunity-he lost his scholarship chances when he came out and quit the wrestling team the year before.

Can the true meaning of martial arts heal the divisions in this town, or will fighting only make things worse? A rousing story of love versus hate, where hidden truths and life-altering decisions lay behind every corner, Pride and Persistence celebrates the indomitable spirit within us all-the fighter that refuses to stay down, no matter how many times one falls.

Published: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Mad Cat
Genres:

Romance, YA

Tags:

LGBTQ fiction, sports

About the Author

Joe Chianakas

Joe Chianakas has been an educator for 21 years, the first half as a high school English teacher, the last half as a professor of communication at Illinois Central College. He's published several novels, including his horror series Rabbit in Red, and is working on a new adult horror series, Darkness Calls, with Oghma Creative Media. Under his pen name, NC Nest, he's published a series of LGBTQ YA contemporary books, including Looking for Derek. His next YA LGBTQ series is titled Singlets and Secrets, which will be published by Young Dragons Press.

When he's not teaching or writing, he enjoys spending time with his mini Australian Shepherd, Bailey. Joe loves the outdoors, fitness, reading (of course!), martial arts, travel, and binge-watching TV. He lives in Peoria, IL, with his husband, Brian.

Other Books By Joe Chianakas

Series: Unveiling Aiden

Singlets & Secrets

Pride and Persistence

Practicing Partners

Healing hearts takes more than medicine.
Bran Jackson, a gifted trauma surgeon, finds himself at a crossroads after his fast-paced lifestyle in Seattle lands him in hot water. Suspended from the hospital, he retreats to his hometown of Maiden’s Bay, hoping to take over his grandfather’s medical practice and salvage his career. The quiet coastal town seems like the perfect place to start anew—until he meets his competition.
Aubrie Turnbridge, a pediatric oncologist, wants to put the shadows of her past in Dallas behind her. Moving to Maiden’s Bay offers a fresh start and the chance to work at a small-town doctor’s office. She’s ready for the change, but not for the infuriatingly charming doctor she’s up against. Bran’s arrogance grates on her, and his motivations are as questionable as his roguish grin is disarming.
As Bran and Aubrie vie for the coveted position, the clinic becomes a battleground for their ambitions and a surprising catalyst for their hearts. With every patient they treat together, their rivalry softens into mutual respect, and then something more.
Practicing Partners is a heartwarming tale of rivalry, redemption, and romance set against the charming backdrop of Maiden’s Bay. Bran and Aubrie must navigate their own wounds and the healing power of love to find a cure for their lonely hearts.

The Name Tree

He had to lose his daughter to save her. And himself.
Naomi was gone. Her death, sudden and unexpected, shattered those who loved her. No one could understand why. A year into grieving, Naomi’s father faces a hard truth-he had a role in her passing. In his heart, he knows Naomi wasn’t of this world. She didn’t know her true identity, and he failed to guide her.
But it’s not too late. He believes there’s one way to make amends. To truly help her now, he must do the unimaginable-pass through the thin veil between life and death to where Naomi resides.
On the other side, he’ll face his darkest fears, confront his mistakes, and battle the demons that have haunted him. Only by emerging from the depths of his soul can he become the father Naomi needed. Together, they’ll embark on a harrowing journey through the unseen-facing impossible challenges and confronting her false identity-all in the hope of freeing her spirit.
This is a war for Naomi’s soul, a battle beyond the grave for a future she was meant to have. But will her father have the strength to see it through?
A poignant and powerful story of redemption, love, and the relentless pursuit of hope, this journey begins-and ends-at The Name Tree.

The Bogus Bondsman

Only the Strong Survive.
When a faceless New York investor orchestrates a hostile railroad takeover, he unleashes a tidal wave of chaos across the West. His weapon of choice? Over a million dollars in counterfeit bearer bonds, crafted by a ruthless crime syndicate and peddled by a mysterious beauty with a knack for beguiling bankers. As the Texas & Pacific Railroad teeters on the brink, they enlist the notorious Allan Pinkerton to unmask the culprits. But the banks, bleeding from the fraudulent scheme, call on the Great Western Detective League to track down their stolen fortunes.
Colonel David J. Crook taps his top men-Briscoe Cane and Beau Longstreet-to lead the charge. Alongside Pinkerton’s sharp-eyed Reginald Kingsley and the dangerously seductive Samantha Maples, they race across the untamed West, from bustling railways to desolate deserts, in a high-stakes pursuit. As Kingsley and Cane match wits with a phantom bondsman, Maples and Longstreet find themselves in a rivalry both fierce and flirtatious, all while staying focused on their quarry.
But the syndicate won’t go down without a fight. Ambushes, assassination attempts, and ruthless betrayals follow the detectives’ every move, leading to a heart-pounding showdown from Yuma, Arizona, to the dusty streets of El Paso.
Prepare for a relentless ride with the Great Western Detective League as they navigate treacherous territory, outsmart cunning criminals, and face down ruthless outlaws. The chase barrels toward a thrilling conclusion, where honor, grit, and gunslinging skills are all that stand between justice and chaos in the unforgiving West.

Roan & Weatherford