What’s it like to live and love blue in ruby red west-central Texas? Emmie Warren is a middle school teacher who is just trying not to rock the boat until she can finish her Master’s Degree and find the courage to move herself and her son away from sleepy Sweetwater to diverse, vibrant Austin, the only place in Texas she ever felt free to be herself. She’s been hiding her truth for years. She doesn’t see any reason to change that before she can make a clean break of things and start all over. Cass Prater is a brash cowgirl who lives life out loud, wherever she lives. Cass clashes with Emmie the minute they meet. It’s a battle of wills from there, on. She’s determined to show Emmie she can have it all: her family, a mate and a job that she loves, right there, in the heart of Texas. Sweetwater Texas is the first story in the Loving Blue in Red States series by Anne Hagan. Look for other short stories and novellas to come out in this series in the future.

What’s out there for a young, bi-racial, lesbian woman in Birmingham, Alabama, the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement? Isabella is young, in love and she thinks she has it all. As a mechanic trained in high school, where being a female in the classroom was accepted, to doing the same job in the Air National Guard where it is too and getting her tuition to aviation tech school paid for by the Guard, she’ s got it made…or does she? She figures she’s well on her way to working on jets like she’s always wanted to and living the life she’s dreamed of. Her boss in her day job at the Air Base sees things a little differently, however, and he’s just waiting for her to screw up. Aslyn makes no apologies for being black, out and proud. Nursing is her chosen vocation but women’s rights are her passion. She sees Birmingham as a city on the brink of an all new civil rights movements and she wants to be right in the middle of it all. Her family disagrees with that, with her sexual preference and especially with her choice of a girlfriend. Will a riot ruin it all for the two young lovers? ”That’s not what Birmingham stands for.” ~ Sondra Williams Birmingham Alabama is the second short story in the Loving Blue in Red States series by Anne Hagan. It was preceded by, Sweetwater Texas. Look for other short stories and novellas to come out in this series in the future.

A long running wild west show brings two women with rocky histories together in an all-out, shootout. Liz Ventura is a semi-retired saddle and tack shop owner who just wants to get out of the house, out among people. Friends in community theater convince her to try out for a part in the summer long Jackson Hole Shootout show and she makes the cut. She was even willing to play understudy to the show’s female lead. After all, she thinks, Trudy had been playing the role forever and relished it. What could possibly go wrong? Jessica ‘Jess’ Davenport is a six-year veteran of the show. It’s been the only steady thing in her life for most of those years as she struggled with loss and the effects of addiction. She’s incensed when she finds out the director just handed Trudy’s role to a newcomer to the show; incensed that she wasn’t even considered. When she confronts Liz, sparks fly. Both women are living in the past. Can a Shootout show help them find a future together? Jackson Hole Wyoming is the third short story in the Loving Blue in Red States series by Anne Hagan. It was preceded by, Sweetwater Texas and Birmingham Alabama. Look for other short stories and novellas to come out in this series in the future.

What happens in a cave... Bethany French is a geologist with the Missouri Geological Survey. She loves her job and she’s good at it. She gets to explore caves and other land forms for a living. The only thing missing from her life is a partner to share it all with. She had one until she decided she needed to move out of St. Louis, south, to be closer to the territory she was assigned to cover. The forty-minute drive into the city proved to be more than her ex was willing to put up with. She craved the bright lights and the constant Good riddance Bethany thought. She liked having a partner but, now in her late thirties, she didn’t want to start all over. She figured at her age, she was just better off alone. Renn Sowell has two doctorates; a formal one in ceramic engineering and one in cover and concealment earned over years of keeping secrets from her ultra conservative, white nationalist father. It’s bad enough in his eyes that she’s a scientist rather than a housewife and a mother; her coming out as a lesbian might just send him over the edge. The 26-year-old can’t keep a girlfriend in her life for long because she doesn’t dare do anything to upset the delicate balance she works hard to maintain. The Two women keep meeting in the most unlikely circumstances. They couldn’t be more different either…at least, that’s what they think. Will they find common ground in the light of day? Perryville Missouri is the fourth short story in the Loving Blue in Red States series by Anne Hagan. It was preceded by, Sweetwater Texas, Birmingham Alabama and Jackson Hole Wyoming. Look for other short stories and novellas to come out in this series in the future.

A collection of five lesbian romantic short stories by the author of Broken Women and Healing Embrace, mostly sweet with a little spice. Loving Blue in Red Sweetwater Texas Emmie Warren is a middle school teacher who is just trying not to rock the boat until she can finish her Master’s Degree and find the courage to move herself and her son away from sleepy Sweetwater to diverse, vibrant Austin, the only place in Texas she ever felt free to be herself. She’s been hiding her truth for years. She doesn’t see any reason to change that before she can make a clean break of things and start all over. Cass Prater is the brash cowgirl who lives life out loud, wherever she lives. Cass clashes with Emmie the minute they meet. It’s a battle of wills from there, on. She’s determined to show Emmie she can have it her family, a mate and a job that she loves, right there, in the heart of Texas. Loving Blue in Red Birmingham Alabama Isabella is young, in love and she thinks she has it all. As a mechanic trained in high school, where being a female in the classroom was accepted, to doing the same job in the Air National Guard where it is too and getting her tuition to aviation tech school paid for by the Guard, she’ s got it made…or does she? She figures she’s well on her way to working on jets like she’s always wanted to and living the life she’s dreamed of. Her boss in her day job at the Air Base sees things a little differently, however, and he’s just waiting for her to screw up. Aslyn makes no apologies for being black, out and proud. Nursing is her chosen vocation but women’s rights are her passion. She sees Birmingham as a city on the brink of an all new civil rights movements and she wants to be right in the middle of it all. Her family disagrees with that, with her sexual preference and especially with her choice of a girlfriend. Will a riot ruin it all for the two young lovers? Loving Blue in Red Jackson Hole Wyoming Liz Ventura is a semi-retired saddle and tack shop owner who just wants to get out of the house, out among people. Friends in community theater convince her to try out for a part in the summer long Jackson Hole Shootout show and she makes the cut. Jessica ‘Jess’ Davenport is a six-year veteran of the show. It’s been the only steady thing in her life for most of those years as she struggled with loss and the effects of addiction. Sparks fly between the two. Both women are living in the past. Can a Shootout show help them find a future together? Loving Blue in Red Perryville Missouri What happens in a cave... Bethany French is a geologist who loves her job. She gets to explore caves and land forms for a living. The only thing missing from her life is a partner to share it all with. Renn Sowell has two doctorates; a formal one in ceramic engineering and one in cover and concealment earned over years of keeping secrets from her ultra-conservative, white nationalist father. She can’t keep a girlfriend in her life for long because she doesn’t dare do anything to upset the delicate balance she works to maintain. The Two women keep meeting in unlikely circumstances. They feel they couldn’t be more different. Will they find common ground in the light of day? Loving Blue in Red Salt Lake City Utah The banker and the barista… Amanda and Rebecca were both raised in the male-centric Mormon church.