Margins
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Auctioned
Series · 7 books · 2018-2022

Books in series

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#1

Auctioned

2018

Gray Nolan’s biggest problem in life was the torch he carried for his closeted coach. He was just another happy-go-lucky dude, a college student and hockey player, when his ordinary existence was interrupted, and he became a human trafficking statistic. He and seven other young men were taken aboard a luxurious yacht where they were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Gray was beaten, shattered, and almost defeated by the time his buyer stepped out of the shadows in a swirl of his own cigarette smoke. He was Gray’s new owner. Darius Quinn had vowed never again to find himself in a situation like this. His days as a private military contractor were over. No more missions, no more risks, no more personal attachments. Yet, here he was, after weeks of searching, face-to-face with his broken prize. It was time to get the knucklehead back to his family. Quick and easy was Darius’s plan. Then everything went sideways. —————————————————————————— Auctioned, book 1. (Does not end with a cliffhanger.)
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#2

Stranded

2019

Stranded is the second book in The Auctioned Series. Before you read further, you should read Auctioned. ​ “You have my word, Gray. I will get you off this island, and I will bring you home.” It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out job. Nothing Darius Quinn hadn’t done before. But this job had something none of the others did: Gray Nolan. ​Like Murphy’s Law advised, anything that could go wrong, would. A mission to save one hometown favorite son was turning into a quest to rescue thirteen traumatized young men against odds so steep, he’d need an oxygen mask to scale them. ​ Facing new dangers and an uncertain future, Darius keeps Gray close and is soon forced to accept that this has become much more than an assignment. For a man whose reputation was built on being ice-cold under pressure, Darius is beginning to discover how good it feels to burn.
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#3

Deserted

2020

Deserted is the third book in the Auctioned Series, following book 1, Auctioned, and book 2, Stranded. Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind.” Recovery was different. Gray wanted to be left alone to fight his demons—and to get over the attachment he’d formed for the man who’d saved him more than once. But in a time when darkness threatened to consume him, salvation arrived as he set out to uphold the promise he’d made to a friend. Eight-year-old Jayden stormed into his life, fresh off the streets of Philadelphia, and lit up Gray’s bleak existence. Darius Quinn had known that Gray was going to close himself in and run away after everything they’d been through. But he was determined to follow and watch over the young man who should have been just a paycheck. Something about Gray prevented Darius from staying in his preferred role of passive observer, and he couldn’t let Gray carry out his last commitment alone. What started out as a cross-country road trip to guide them home to Washington was quickly turning into a journey with a destination that scared the life out of Darius. He’d never wanted that kind of future before, and now he was gearing up to fight for it. (All books taking place in the Camassia Cove universe are standalone unless otherwise stated.)
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#4

Played

2021

The Auctioned Series is a journey packed with action, nail-biting suspense, family, and love. In Gray and Darius’s fight for freedom and a future where they aren’t haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, they’ll make you laugh, cry, possibly yell at your e-reader, and swoon just a little bit. One last mission. One last operation—and the stakes had never been higher. Truth be told, Darius was exhausted. He didn’t want his past mingling with the life he was building with Gray and the kids, but he had no choice. They were facing their biggest threat yet, and in order to even stand a chance, Darius had to revert to the man he’d once been. He had to set aside fatherhood and love and be the grunt, the private contractor, the soldier who went deep behind enemy lines. It was time to rally the troops. With Gray by his side, Darius cashed in the last of his favors and put together a crew that would hopefully help them bring an end to this chaotic year. The desert waited for them. Again. So did Las Vegas. The problem with Vegas…? Just when you thought you knew how to play the game, it played you. This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books/series’ stand on their own, unless otherwise stated. The Auctioned Series should be read in the following order: Auctioned, Stranded, Deserted, Played, and Finished.
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#5

Finished

2021

Book 5 | Romantic Suspense | Hurt/Comfort | Trauma | Age Difference The Auctioned Series is a journey packed with action, nail-biting suspense, family, and love. In Gray and Darius’s fight for freedom and a future where they aren’t haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, they’ll make you laugh, cry, possibly yell at your e-reader, and swoon just a little bit. In a race against time, Gray didn’t allow himself to consider defeat. He refused. They couldn’t lose now. Darius had to be okay. Oh God, he had to be okay. One minute and twelve seconds had passed since the guys in the compound had started collapsing, and Gray could hear Darius in his mind, calling him knucklehead in that sharp tone that demanded attention. Pull it together, focus, get the job done. So with his heart threatening to pound its way out of his rib cage, Gray let this final task become his one and only mission. They were gonna finish the operation once and for all, and they were gonna walk away with a bright future ahead of them. A future that promised family, new adventures, and freaking farm animals. This was it. This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books stand on their own, unless otherwise stated, and the reader can jump in wherever they want. The Auctioned Series should be read in the following order: Auctioned, Stranded, Deserted, Played, and Finished.
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#6

Prepared

2022

Book 6 • Family • Humor • Action • Bachelor Party Fun It’s time for the happily ever after Gray and Darius have fought so hard for…once they get out of this darn jungle in Belize. “You have to understand, I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I said goodbye to everyone in my head.” Three years ago, Gray Nolan lost all hope of ever seeing his friends and family again. Now, everyone was gathering to watch him become Gray Quinn. At long last. But before his and Darius’s big day, they had one more mission to undertake. Just a simple in-and-out stint. Nothing to worry about. Certainly nothing as challenging as a two-day bachelor party featuring a pack of wild children, three best men in charge with an abundance of creativity, a hockey game between the younger whippersnappers and the more…seasoned grunts, and a very open bar.
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#6.5

Field Notes

D. Quinn

2022

Darius wouldn't claim writing his wedding vows was his toughest mission yet, but it sure as shi- It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy at all. And he wondered what his knucklehead had against the traditional vows. But it didn't matter. Darius had his task. He was gonna do it. He'd write some good vows or whatever. Maybe their kids could help...with drawings and spillage. Christ. Deep breaths. \*As this is a companion piece, Prepared: Auctioned #6 should be read first.

Author

Cara Dee
Cara Dee
Author · 85 books

​ I'm often stoically silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there's so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. There's a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve. Additionally, I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect. Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing. I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, and geeking. There's time for hockey and cupcakes, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

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