Headbangers’ Ball by Josh Fippen

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Headbangers’ Ball

Author: Josh Fippen

Publisher: The Original Press

Cover Artist: Dann Hazel & Josh Fippen

Release Date: February 14, 2026

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, single POV.

Genres: Dark Contemporary MM Romance, BDSM

Tropes: Enemies to friends, misunderstanding to clarity

Themes:  Coming out, forgiveness

Heat Rating:  5 flames     

Length:  63 000 words

It is Book 1 of the Tansy Hollow Gay Romance Series, 

but does not end on a cliffhanger. It is a happily-ever-after story.

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Pre-Order Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Born in the heat of passion, forged in fire, and tarnished by impetuous decisions, the love that Seth and Caleb share is unstoppable.

Blurb 

Seth, always the adventurous (and often, rebellious) type, decides to explore a darker side of gay culture. He attends one of the infamous “Headbangers’ Ball” parties held several times each year by a reclusive eccentric who lives in an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town. 

Seth had no idea what “party favors” he’d be taking.

Seth’s love life—though “love” had nothing to do with any of it—had been quite active with regular meaningful, overnight relationships which were actually anything but relationships. Then, along comes Caleb, tumbling into Seth’s life at the party like a bull in a china shop. 

Could Caleb be relationship material? 

Leave it to Seth to blow things up. 

Headbangers’ Ball, Book One in the Tansy Hollow Gay Romance Series, is a happily-ever-after story which has the perfect blend of action, intrigue and sex to keep you from putting it down. Grab your copy today at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, or wherever great gay romance books are sold. 

Excerpt 

The pizza guy watched as he filled in the tip amount. When Seth handed the slip back to him, he smiled broadly. 

“Thanks, man. You just made my night!” 

“No problem,” Seth replied. “You brought the food, so I think it was you who made my night.” 

The pizza boy looked Seth up and down. “Wish you’d make my night some other way then.” He flashed his big smile, his “come hither” face, and turned away. 

As the pizza guy eyed him, Seth suddenly remembered he wasn’t wearing anything except Caleb’s shorts. After all the shit he’d done earlier, being ogled one more time by a stranger didn’t really matter to him. The guy was totally not his type anyway. 

Seth closed the door and picked up the pizzas. The small table next to the door was a thoughtful idea, very convenient for deliveries. Seemed like Caleb ordered a lot of food delivery, if his speed dial was any indication. 

He brought the pizzas back to Caleb’s man cave, where he plopped down in his spot on the couch. Immediately, he opened a box and grabbed a hot slice. He took a double bite. He hadn’t realized how ravenous he was. 

Caleb wasn’t in the room when Seth returned with the pizza. Seth hadn’t noticed his absence until he heard the bottles clinking from across the hall. Caleb appeared in the doorway before Seth could chew up his first bite. 

“Mmm, that smells good!” 

Seth couldn’t answer. Mouth full. 

Caleb set a frosty bottle on the table next to the pizza box. He had another one for himself. 

Seth swallowed, grabbed the beer, and swigged down a big gulp. 

“Grab a slice,” he said. 

“Don’t mind if I do!” 

“Try not to get drunk again,” Seth warned. “Nothing good comes from that.” There was a cold seriousness in his voice. The unspoken issue—the elephant in the room—was made vividly clear. Caleb was glad when Seth didn’t mention the specifics. 

Caleb sat on the couch next to Seth, lifted the box lid and took a slice for himself. He bit into it. Made an approving gruff “yummy” sound to signal his approval of both the quality of the pie and Seth’s choice of toppings. 

They sat on the couch side by side, enjoying the pizza and beer. Caleb got up once to switch the music when Gravehuffer finished. They didn’t say much of anything for a while. They were just two men filling their bellies.

About the Author 

Josh Fippen has dreamed of writing gay romance for years. This novel is his first effort, but definitely not his last. He joins his spouse Dann Hazel, a veteran writer, in creating sexy, steamy gay romance tales. Together Dann and Josh have developed the Tansy Hollow Gay Romance Series of Books. Both authors will create stories for the series.

Author/Social Media Links

Website  |  Instagram  |   BlueSky 

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Author Spotlight - Paolo G. Grossi

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - PAOLO G. GROSSI

BOOK 1

Book Title: The Kaminsky Symphony

Publisher: Spectrum Books

Cover Artist: Viorel Sima

Length: 75 000 words - 271 Pages

Release Date: December 6, 2025

Genre: LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction

Heat Rating: 3 flames

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Buy Links - Paperback and Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link

Blurb

Milan, 1913. Maestro Mandelli di Castagnino is resident conductor at La Scala, having taken over from the legendary Toscanini.

Barely in his mid-thirties, he is revered by the Milanese public and fêted by the city’s high society. But once the baton is down, and after another soirée in his honour organised by his sycophantic agent, he returns to an empty home, surrounded only by his servants.

Disenchanted and longing to leave his secret life behind, he accepts a post as resident chief conductor at the Odessa Opera House, causing consternation among his family and admirers.

After an eventful journey by land and sea, he settles in the elegant coastal city, improving the performance of the orchestra and winning the approval and friendship of the locals.

He also finds love, but the continent is about to sleepwalk into the carnage of a futile war and Imperial Russia is on the cusp of being rocked by the October Revolution.

Undeterred by the unfolding catastrophe and wanting to protect his beloved from the savagery of the civil war, he is confronted with a desperate choice.

BOOK 2

Book Title: Serafino da Ferrara

Publisher: The Conrad Press

Length: 75 000 Words - 371 Pages

Release date: February 28, 2023

Genre: LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb

Ferrara, 1505 AD. Talented Serafino is apprenticed to Mastro Filargiro, one of the city's leading artists. Serafino finds love, but his mastery takes him on a perilous journey across Italy's feuding city-states, unaware that his virtuosity is a threat to the pre-eminence of the hitherto unchallenged masters of the Renaissance. His life must take a dramatic new turn in the hope of escaping their enmity. Washington DC, 2008. Parker’s first year at Georgetown High is coming to an end. His father is appointed Consul General in Florence. Parker enthusiastically embraces his new life and befriends handsome Beppe. But almost everyone around him has been keeping secrets. And the fifteenth-century palazzo where his family now lives unexpectedly reveals its long-buried mysteries. Separated by five hundred years, yet united by their talent, Serafino and Parker embark on similar journeys of discovery while fellow artists, assassins, princes and envious classmates rage and scheme around them.

Excerpt from Serafino da Ferrara

He hears the final bell. The school erupts, classroom doors slam open barely holding on to their hinges, the metallic noise of lockers being opened and shut again is deafening.

Summer break is here. A torrent of students regurgitates into the street causing an almighty traffic jam. SUVs with mothers or nannies at the wheel vie for space, right of way, and ultimately a not-too-subtle parade of the best four wheels in Georgetown.

This is no cheap suburbia, most of their husbands or employers are toiling at some desk or chairing important meetings at Foggy Bottom, on Capitol Hill or the White House. Most often all three.

Parker walks out of the front door with his hands in the tight pockets of his slacks and his rucksack on his shoulders. A few hugs with the girls and some high-fives with fellow boys ensue. His older brother is already waiting at the bike stand. When he gets there the high-five is followed by a manly hug.

‘Dude, summer break and birthday tomorrow. Lucky little bro.’

‘Bet you know what the old folks have got me.’

‘Sure I do.’

They start cycling. When Parker reached the age of fourteen, their parents went out and bought a cheap bike for his growing frame. The Hendersons’ pristine drive sports the standard two SUVs parked neatly by each other, yet their mother wasn’t fond of school runs. In their opinion he was still a bit too young to cycle all the way to school by himself but the city had finally built some decent bike lanes and Tommy was now seventeen so they made them promise to stick together on the journey.

Tommy, who finds cycling by himself rather dull - he’s not much of a loner, any activity has to involve other people - had gone out of his way to promise to look out for his little brother at traffic junctions.

They had also promised never to set off without their helmets, though Tommy had swiftly pointed out to Parker that “setting off” with them was not the same as “wearing them”. Parker, the more academic of the pair, had found the distinction clever though he had laughed while retorting that it was still cheating.

So when they are a couple of blocks away from home they stop, unlock their helmets from their rucksacks’ straps and don them before reaching the driveway. A few times Parker had remarked that one day they might get caught by their mother driving by.

He walks to the garage door to open it but he’s shouted down by Tommy who parades himself in front of it.

‘Off-limits until tomorrow, bro.’

A smiling Parker leaves his bike with his brother and heads for the kitchen door. Tommy has just narrowed down his guesses for his present. One doesn’t need a garage to hide a watch or a pair of trainers.

To his surprise he finds them both at home, sat at the kitchen table with two mugs of coffee in their hands. After kissing his mother on the cheek (Tommy is starting to cringe at that, but Parker still likes it. Tomorrow’s birthday might change that), he meets his father’s closed fist with his; they have gradually stopped hugging.

‘Why are you home?’ Parker’s face frowns in suspicion. ‘You’ve got the day off tomorrow, haven’t you, Dad?’

‘‘No worries. All free tomorrow. Left office early, not much to do at the moment. There might be a few changes in my career; new President, new direction.’

BOOK 3

Book Title: The Tiergarten Tales

Publisher: The Conrad Press

Length:  75 000 Words - 375 Pages

Release Date: May 31, 2021

Genre: LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction  

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb

Boys and men of Berlin. A captivating journey through their lives, love affairs and misdemeanours across the city’s turbulent history.

Felix and Walther bestride a deep class divide, forging an enduring bond in 1890s Prussia. Kaspar and Max navigate the fraught upheavals of the Weimar Republic by skilfully marketing the only commodity in demand. Young Kazimierz leaves his impoverished Silesian village and sets off on an epic journey to the Prussian capital, the seat of an ageing Frederick the Great. His heavenly beauty, endearing naivety and, ultimately, fate will transform his life once through the gates of the city.

Echoes within echoes. Circles within circles. Wealth, poverty and moral compromise. The privilege and toxic masculinity of the Prussian officer class.

About the Author

Paolo G. Grossi was born and raised in Milan. Thirty years ago he spent a weekend in London and decided to stay. Like most Italians, opera and the visual arts are his main passions. When not writing, you will surely find him attending a performance, visiting a museum and, of course, spending some time cycling in Berlin or around the Wannsee. He lives in London with his partner David.

Check out the Author's website here:

Website

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