MARIANNE K. MARTIN

"Marianne Martin is a wonderful story teller and a graceful writer with a light, witty touch with language and a sensitivity to the emotions of people in love. There is a tenderness and brightness to her characterizations that make the personalities quite beguiling." Ann Bannon, author of the Beebo Brinker novelsMeet Sage Bristo. Tall. Toned. Attractive. Women were drawn to her easy confidence and mystique. They wanted to be near her and would do anything for her. Sage enjoyed the attention and her reputation as a player grew. But these women who gave themselves so easily didnt satisfy her true need for a woman of conviction and passion . . . The last thing Deanne Demore wants in her life is a modern day Don Juana. The years have brought her a hard-won wisdom and she is not about to get caught up in another ruinous relationship. So why is she watching Sage Bristo? More importantly, why is her heart racing? Reissued after 15 years for a new generation of readers, this anniversary edition of Legacy of Love showcases Marianne K. Martins skill in creating characters we want to know and follow.Marianne K. Martin is the author of nine novels and is a co-founder of Bywater Books. She divides her time between writing and publishing and between Michigan and Florida.Legacy of Love is her first novel.

The Indelible Heart reintroduces Sage and Deanne, and Kasey and Connie, from the best selling Love in the Balance.Ten years ago, Charlie Crawford shot dead his two lesbian neighbors. Sharon Davis was their avenging angel, the woman who fought to win justice for her murdered friends. But justice didnt ease the pain. Beer did, though. And Sharons love for the bottle cost her the love of her partner Laura. Lauras departure was the cue for the descent into depression that finally forced Sharon to rebuild her shattered life. Now the past is back with a vengeance. Charlie Crawford is terminally ill and seeking early release on compassionate grounds. Sharon has to fight for justice all over again. When Laura comes back to town, Sharons history threatens to overwhelm her. Hate nearly destroyed her ten years before. Has Sharon learned enough about love and friendship since then to keep herself whole this time?

1943.America is the Arsenal of Democracy.Ships. Tanks. Airplanes. Munitions. With nine million men away fighting in Europe and the south Pacific, its up to Americas women to produce the tools of warand victory rests on the wings of Americas Liberator, the B-24 bomber.Audrey throws herself into the war effort. Hard work and long hours are just what she needs to keep the past at bay. Nona joins Audreys crew at the Willow Run Bomber Plant outside Detroit. Shes left her home in Kentucky to do her bit, and buys all the war bonds she can affordshe has a plan for her life. Ruth seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herselfa life her mother would not recognize.Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, these women capture the spirit of the times through their determination, ingenuity, and enduring courage.

Paige Flemming is on the run. From the police, from her history, and from love itself. After sixteen years looking over her shoulder, she realizes its time to run again. But when she pauses in her headlong flight to catch her breath with old friends, she crashes straight into another ghost from her past. And this time, its not one she can easily escape.Marissa Langford is a woman living with the wreckage of her dreams. A dancer deprived of the dance by a tragic accident, she is struggling to rebuild her life when Paiges appearance rekindles bitter memories of what she has lost. For both women, their meeting asks more questions than either can readily answer.As they struggle with the turbulent emotions each provokes in the other, the net is closing on Paige. But cops are human too, and the hunter who has Paige in his sights has his own harsh emotional lessons to learn.As old secrets emerge from the darkness, this finely drawn cast of characters search deep inside themselves for the resources to battle their demons. Desire walks hand in hand with betrayal, love is held hostage by abuse and shadows threaten dreams every step of the way.In this long-awaited sequel to the best-selling lesbian romance Dawn of the Dance, Lambda Literary Award finalist Marianne K. Martin reminds us that theres no footwork fancy enough to dance out of the shadow of the past.

Civil War secrets inspire a present day love story. An aunt she didnt know existed leaves Dhari Weston with a plantation she knows she doesnt want. Dharis life is complicated enough without an antebellum albatross around her neck. Complicated enough without the beautiful Erin Hughes and her passion for historical houses, without Nessie Tinker, whose family breathed the smoke of General Shermans march and who knows the secrets hidden in the ancient wallssecrets that could pull Dhari into their sway and into Erins arms. But Dharis complicated life already has a girlfriend she wants to commit to, a family who needs her to calm the chaos of her mothers turbulent moods and a job that takes the rest of her time. The last thing she needs are Civil War secrets that wont lie easy and a woman with secrets of her own . . .

Not only does [Love in the Balance] have love and excitement, but it has issues very close to all of us." The Alabama Forum Gaiety"Marianne Martin is a wonderful storyteller and a graceful writer with a light, witty touch with language and a sensitivity to the emotions of people in love." Ann BannonLife has a way of sneaking up on you. Connie likes men. Sure, shes just dumped one, but shell find another one soon enough. Instead, she finds Kasey. Who happens to be a woman. A lesbian, actually. Connie reckons theyll be good friends. And soon realizes she wants more. But Kasey has already had her heart broken. Her ex-girlfriend turned out to prefer men. Kasey wont take a chance on that happening again. And her friends wont let her, either. Especially Sharon. So if this is love, Connie has a lot of convincing to do and a lot of people to win over. Just when it seems like maybe she has, life comes sneaking up again. Some people hate lesbians, hate them enough to kill. And its not obvious that the authorities care. Connie, Kasey, and Sharon each put their doubts to one side and work together to get justice. But is Connie strong enough to face her fear and stay with Kasey after the shadow of violence has passed over them?

For once here is a sequel that really is. Never Ending is a look at the life and relationship of Sage and Deanne four years after Legacy of Love. Sage Bristo is a woman of conviction. Four years into her relationship with Deanne, Sage faces the limits of love, trust, understanding, and commitment and the emotions run strong. As always, Martin keeps us hooked until the very last page.

Trailblazing author, Marianne K. Martin asks, "How much are you willing to sacrifice to protect your students and the woman you love?" in this powerful and timely novel.Johanna Beals decided sixteen years ago to sacrifice everything to raise her daughter Kayla as a single mother. She knew it was the right decision even when it led to lonely nights and broken relationships, and even when adolescent secrets challenged their mother/daughter bond. But the decision to go it alone seems easy compared to the one she is about to face.Secrets and bouts of teenage angst dont only challenge parents. English teacher, Miya James, has dealt with her fair share of them over the years. But Kayla Beals seems to be whispering to the wind, an act that stirs uncomfortable memories of Miyas fractured childhood. As the school year progresses, she finds she wasnt prepared for this student, for her mother, or for the sparks that add fuel to the teeming atmosphere of unrest, bullying, and homophobia that leaves her school district grappling with life-changing decisions for everyone involved.

Renee Parker knows what love is and what love does. She was only seventeen when she fought social services for the right to raise her four younger siblings. Fought and won. Now the challenge is to parent kids scarred by a step-dads suicide and a mothers imprisonment. But Renee doesnt think twice about sacrificing her own future to give her brothers and sisters their best shot at life. Renee knows what love is and what love does. But then a different kind of love threatens everything Renee has built. Meeting pediatric nurse Olivia Dumont convinces Renee there is room in her heart for someone outside the family. But not everyone approves of the choices of her heart. The watchful eye of social worker Millie Gordon is always on the Parker family. And Millie knows whats right and whats wrong. Driven to desperation, Renee faces the most agonizing decision of her life.

There isnt much that Addy Grayson hasnt facedthe wrath of General Sherman in the Civil War, the murder of her lover, the life of a widowed Southern woman. Shed stood strong against fear and tradition in order to raise her daughter alone. Somehow she managed to keep her land, her family, and her secrets. Now she is an old woman raising her granddaughters in a world full of new challenges, unsure if she has the energy to endure.And what of her granddaughter Annas challenges, and her best friend, Nessies? They dared to dream of working and saving their own money, of going off to college, of careers and making a difference. And they dared to love each other.In 1916 Georgia, though, some dreams are not allowed. Anna is bright and pretty and has all the requirements needed to marry well. Society expects it. Her father demands it. And, Nessie, whose family worked as slaves for Annas family before Emancipation, is expected to do whatever is necessary to keep their land safe and to protect the life her family has worked so hard for.But what happens when dreams defy expectations, when you have no voice, no choice? Do you fight the fight to choose, or are the consequences too great?In Tangled Roots Marianne K. Martin explores how two women adapt to rapidly changing times and find a way to love one another in the harshest circumstances.

When Moni Matteson fell for Paige Flemming she thought her lonely days had come to an end. Paige, the sleek athlete with the mysterious past, taught Moni what it felt like to want, and to need, and finally to love. She also taught Moni what it felt like to be lefta devastation that shook Moni to the core and one that she wants never to repeat. At college, Moni concentrates on her studies, on her art, and on her small group of friends. Romance is a thing of the past. But then she meets Katherine Cunningham, a beautiful woman with a sexy British accent . . . Dawn of the Dance is the prequel to the Lambda Literary Award finalist Mirrors.

Jada Baker is a millennial, but she was born to worryabout her mom, her job, abused animals, and about the growing discord she sees playing out in the news every day. But she also believes that good will triumph over evil and that she will find true and deep love. And when Amie Luca, a veterinarian whose compassion for helping mistreated animals captures her heart, Jada believes that she has finally found the woman shes been searching for.But, when the happiness that Jada and Amie are building is suddenly threatened by a surge of hate and homophobia, they turn to a friend who has learned the hard way that kicking rocks can be painful. Dusty Logan logged long hours fighting for womens rights, watching friends suffer and die through the AIDS crisis, and battling for the right to openly love a woman, and shes bone tired. Yet when she sees Jada and Amiea new generation of womenfacing a new but familiar wave of discrimination, her spirit to fight the good fight is rekindled. And Dusty will do everything she can to make sure that Jada and Amie get that shot at real happiness after all.

There are plenty of reasons why Jean Carson isnt a lesbian: shes a wife; shes a Catholic; and shes a teacher at a school where even a rumor could get her fired. Shayna Bradley is just a good friend. But Jeans a wife who doesnt want children with her husband. A Catholic who rejects the teachings of the Church. And a teacher desperate to help one of her studentsand failing, because theres nothing shes allowed to say to "Lezzie Lin." They all deserve better. Especially Shayna. Jean decides to ask for a divorce. But divorce isnt the same as leaving the closet. Not when shes desperate to keep her job. Jean stays silent. The bullying continues. Soon Lezzie Lin is fighting for her life. There are plenty of reasons why Jean Carson isnt a lesbian. And plenty of reasons to announce that she is.

Connie Bradford siente que su vida está cambiando. A nivel profesional ha logrado ese ascenso tan esperado; a nivel sentimental ha terminado la relación que mantenía con su novio; la vida va discurriendo de forma tranquila hasta que conoce a Kasey Hollander.Prospera empresaria, Kasey Hollander se dedica a la construccion. Lleva una vida retirada y centrada en su trabajo como rehabilitadora de fincas. Decide contratar a Connie para que lleve la contabilidad y las dos congenian inmediatamente. Sin embargo, desde que su ultima novia la dejo herida y humillada, Kasey esta decidida a no arriesgarse en lo que respecta a las relaciones afectivas. ¿Y que puede ser menos arriesgado que una amistad platonica con una mujer heterosexual?