Winter's Fire

Ex-Army sniper Sam Winter is home from the war. But it wasn’t an act of heroism that got him medically discharged. After his team found out he was gay, they beat him so severely he could no longer perform his duties. Now, at his family’s horse farm in Kentucky, Sam faces not only an uncertain future, but his father’s condemnation and prejudice, as well. The one thing he is certain about is his feelings for his best friend, Cooper Brown, who Sam has secretly been attracted to since high school. For years, Cooper has harbored his own secret attraction toward Sam. Now that Sam is home for good, he’s ready to tell him how he feels.

When Coop and Sam finally reveal their secrets to one another, the bonds of friendship expand in ways neither thought possible. As his relationship with Coop grows stronger every day, Sam feels his life is finally on course, especially when he rediscovers his love for photography and envisions a new career behind the camera. But an infernal stable fire changes everything and forces shocking, long-hidden truths into the light, changing Sam’s life forever.

Author’s Note: This novel is a rewrite of a previously published novella titled The Arms of Winter, which is included at the back of the Winter’s Fire. Upon the return of my rights to this novella in early 2014, I overhauled the story and added 40,000 words to the manuscript, altering much of the plot, as well as the ending. I think the story is now richer and illustrates much better conflict than the original. I hope you enjoy Winter’s Fire.