Books by nick nolan

Closeted teenager Jeremy is sent to live with wealthy relatives after his mother enters rehab. Struggling to fit into the posh world of Ballena Beach, Jeremy joins the high school swim team, dates a popular girl, and begins to think he may have landed in paradise—until his great aunt Katharine starts to dictate his every move … and a late-night phone call insinuates that his father’s accidental death was not so accidental after all.

As Jeremy grows accustomed to the veneer of a fabulous life, so grows his need for answers—as well as the danger of immeasurable harm. Weaving together a murder mystery, sexual ambiguity, and characters with hidden identities and agendas , Nick Nolan offers readers a deliciously witty page-turner about the “puppet” who wishes only to be a real boy. Strings Attached is also a surprisingly heartfelt story about coming-of-age and coming out—not necessarily in that order.

Nick Nolan’s Double Bound reunites us with many of the characters introduced in his delightful Strings Attached: Jeremy, now in a committed relationship with fun-loving, hotheaded Carlo; Arthur, Jeremy’s protector, confidant, and mentor; and Katharine, Jeremy’s wealthy benefactress, still hiding a slew of secrets and hidden agendas. This sequel displays the same wit, verve, style, and sense of adventure that were so engaging and fresh in Strings Attached. And where Strings Attached playfully alluded to Pinocchio, Double Bound has fun with the Jack and the Beanstalk fable.

Just as Strings Attached was Jeremy’s story, Double Bound is Arthur’s, exploring his troubled relationship with disapproving parents and his precarious years as a gay Marine. However, there’s an added element this time out—the stakes are higher, the repercussions more dire, and the choices harder and more consequential. There is a darker feel to this novel, which not only adds depth to the characters but highlights Mr. Nolan’s growth and confidence as a storyteller. We’ve moved beyond high school concerns into real-world choices, where outcomes are not always tied up in neat "happily ever after" packages.

During the hypnotic regressions in Wide Asleep, Jeremy discovers that Arthur and he lived together in one lifetime as a stoic Confederate captain and a cocky, orphaned soldier during the American Civil War, and even before that as members of the fierce (and exclusively homosexual) Greek warrior tribe known today asThe Sacred Band of Thebes.

But the era looming largest in the dramas presently dogging the couple is back when Arthur lived as the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and Jeremy was his devoted lover, Antinous. Beautiful, doomed Antinous. They were truly a happy couple -- until Antinous mysteriously drowned...which brings us back to Wide Asleep: The various plots churn convincingly pbecause of the very real mystery surrounding Antinous's death: Was it murder? Suicide? Ritual sacrifice, or just an unfortunate accident? Little is known, because in spite of Hadrian having been a writer and a poet he recorded very little regarding his catastrophic loss except, "Today Antinous fell into the Nile." Nothing more from him or anyone else...as if an Imperial gag order had been issued. And if not for reports that Hadrian "mourned like a woman for his beloved," one might suspect that the emperor had something to do with Antinous's demise, perhaps due to the growing scandal surrounding their relationship.

But Wide Asleep proposes a more probable motive behind the young man's drowning...

Exorcism.  Telepathy.  Murder. 

These are the ordeals that poor, beautiful Sebastian Black is dealing with. Then after his scheming mother Kitty Black announces that her son is the “next species of man,” the world begins taking notice. Together, Kitty and Sebastian forge a spiritual movement that celebrates “divine evolution” while warning of a mass extinction. But just as their fame and wealth are building, a tragedy befalls one of Sebastian’s disciples, and threats from Christian militants become too real to ignore.

Sebastian flees Los Angeles—and his mother—in search of peace and freedom. One by one he encounters “common” people who astonish him with their uncomplicated stories of love and compassion: an aging lesbian couple; a Mexican handyman; a shy, anorexic woman; a recovering meth addict; a gay teenager; and an unthinking college jock. Surprisingly, each has a profound effect upon this arrogant young “messiah.”

As Sebastian drifts further away from Kitty, she becomes more determined to preserve their celebrity status and glittering lifestyle. She sets out to reel Sebastian back to her—even if it means conspiring with his enemies, in particular a dashing young Spaniard who darkly mirrors Sebastian’s supernatural talents and good looks. But not even the telepathic Sebastian can foresee what happens next.

From the sleek penthouses of Century City to the savage coastline of Big Sur, Black as Snow twists the beloved fairy tale of Snow White into a suspense-filled story of intrigue, spirituality, and greed…and the unstoppable power of everyday love.

Each of Nick Nolan's novels are available as audiobooks! Listen to a sample of STRINGS ATTACHED by clicking below. 

Q: Is your new book No Place Like Home intended only for the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT)  audience? 

A: Not at all. No Place Like Home was specifically written for a wide range of readers from all walks of life, while it does feature many aspects of the author’s life, which includes a long-term same-sex relationship and marriage. 

Q: Are your novels all LGBT fiction? 

A: Tales from Ballena Beach (Strings Attached; Double Bound; Wide Asleep) are aimed at audiences who enjoy Male/Male relationships, but each novel features characters who are male, female, and non-binary. Black as Snow showcased a pansexual male (Sebastian Black) who developed a relationship with a young woman (Reed Banks). From what I understand, my readers do not belong to any one group or sexual identity. 

Q: Are your books appropriate for children or young adults?

A: My novels have some adult content and are not recommended or intended for anyone under eighteen years of age.