Queer stories about rising from darkness, striving for the light.

black horse statue near brown brick wall during daytime

Joe Town Bound Books

In St. Joseph, Missouri, kinksters and those in the lifestyle cannot be open about who they are. From closeted queer folks hiding from the judgment of the conservative population in the city to secretive professionals who need to let off steam or give control to someone else, they are all connected in some way or another.

Healing Bonds Universe

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St. Joseph, Missouri: A large city with a small-town feel. In the center of the heartland, it's said to be an All-American town. Wholesome and down-to-earth people, farmers, and more make this city their home. With fewer than seventy-five thousand people, it's definitely no big city. North of Kansas City, many people commute to the larger city for work. On the surface, it looks idyllic and slow-moving, allowing people to live life at their own pace. Of course, that's the appearance of the town.

Deeply conservative, many in the area dislike those who are different from themselves. Something that's kept under tight wraps by most people in the town who put on facades of being the perfect little community is the fact that there is a seething bigotry right under the surface. However, there is a thriving counter-culture that many of those with bigoted views are critical of. This culture of queer and alternative lifestyle people makes a sharp contrast to the homely country folks that populate most of the area. A small dungeon, built in the large basement of a local bar, has a thriving group of kinksters and people who share the idea of enjoying life in their own way.

Each book follows a different person as they navigate the troubled waters of hatred and find the comfort of a found family that makes all the difference in the world. Finding comfort in bondage and other kinks, they explore their sexuality and gender identities in ways that they never expected. The love they find in the people around them takes them on a soulful journey.

Dark Honey

Joe Town Bound Book One

Jesse Miller has a crush on Vinny Brown, the handsome and talented quarterback for the St. Joseph Griffins. After a party where the football player flirts with him, he is desperate to know if he’s gay or not. He’s afraid the football player messed with him because he’s out as a gay guy and has often been the target of bullying. He shows up at practice, seeking answers. Vinny approaches him and tells him he’s interested in dating him. They quickly end up in an intense, long-term relationship with Vinny. Things go well, and they have fun together despite the different worlds they each come from.

The only difficulty for Jess, though, comes from having to deal with teasing from the other jocks. It stresses him out and makes him worry Vinny will turn on him someday. Vinny swears it’s just because they like him and that the teasing is good-natured. Jesse takes it in stride and tries to ignore them because he's falling for Vinny. He thinks he’s falling hard for the jock, and if he loves him, he has to take his friends with him.

Then, something happens that Jesse must hide from Vinny- something that could tear them apart for good.