NEW RELEASE
Book Title: Wine Quest
Author: Dann Hazel
Publisher: The Original Press, LLC
Cover Artist: Dann Hazel and Josh Fippen
Release Date: April 27, 2026
Tense/POV: third person, past tense, single POV
Genres: Contemporary MM Romance
Tropes: Opposites attract, small town romance, forced proximity
Themes: Forgiveness, found family, living authentically
Length: 40 000 words/152 pages
Heat Rating: 3 flames
It’s part of a series (Short Orders Gay Romance Series), but it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
It does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Kobo | B&N | Smashwords
Pour the wine. Take the risk. Fall in love.
Blurb
A wounded electrician.
A vineyard owner guarding his heart.
One unforgettable romance set in Virginia wine country.
After tragedy forces him to start over, George relocates to rural Virginia determined to rebuild his life one careful step at a time. New town. New job. No emotional risks.
Love isn’t on the menu.
Then a spontaneous visit to the famous Wine Quest Festival changes everything.
Ryan, owner of Ryval Winery, is charming, successful, and dangerously easy to fall for. Their connection sparks instantly—shared laughter, lingering touches, late-night conversations over perfectly poured wine. For the first time in years, George begins to believe he might deserve happiness again.
But real life refuses to stay uncomplicated.
Ryan’s business partner—and former lover—still occupies a complicated role in his world. George’s fear of abandonment threatens to sabotage something real before it can grow. When workplace conflict costs George the stability he fought to build, both men must decide whether love is worth risking heartbreak.
Set against the romantic backdrop of Virginia vineyards, lakeside sunsets, and small-town charm, Wine Quest delivers emotional depth, sensual chemistry, and a hard-earned happily ever after.
Wine Quest is Book Two in the Short Orders Gay Romance Series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone MM romance.
Perfect for readers who love:
- MM romance
- Gay small-town romance
- Opposites attract relationships
- Slow burn to steamy romance
- Found family & emotional healing
- LGBTQ+ love stories with mature characters
- Vineyard & winery romance settings
- Hurt/comfort and second chances
If you enjoy heartfelt LGBTQ romance with heat, humor, and deeply emotional connections, Wine Quest belongs on your reading list.
Excerpt
George had been a cracker jack electrician for the past ten years.
Today, he was a man obsessed.
Not with his job, which he liked well enough. But really? A job is just a job, and having one is highly overrated.
Not with his new life in Virginia, though he liked the change of climate compared to the sultry New Orleans. (He was even looking forward to experiencing his first snowfall.)
Not even with the friendly people he’d met so far in the Roanoke area.
No, his current common-sense obsession was centered on Ryan Ryval. Not only did George adore gingers, but this particular one was perhaps the most handsome red-haired man he’d ever seen. And those exotic green eyes! They pierced him to his core each time Ryan made eye contact with George during their short conversation at Wine Quest.
After today’s service calls, the weekend would be upon him.
Which meant that George would be spending part of his day on Sunday with the object of his sexual fantasies.
He’d been having a lot of those over the past several days. The man he satisfied in his imagination—and satisfied him—was always Ryan.
He fantasized over what Ryan’s unclothed body must look like. Was his full torso hairy, as George suspected? Was his back hirsute as well? Was he circumcised or not? And if he wasn’t, would he find George’s circumcised penis a turn-off? Did he have shapely legs, or were they too skinny and disappointingly shapeless? What about his feet? Were they attractive? Because George would never deny that he had something of a foot fetish. What kinds of things did Ryan like to do in bed? Was he a top, bottom, vers, or a side? Or, perhaps, none of these things? What experiences in his life catalyzed Ryan’s interest in producing wine? Was he originally from Virginia? Did he share any interests with George? What did he like to do for fun? Where did he like to travel, and what music, what books did he enjoy?
Those questions were important to George, who knew that even a hot man who shared nothing in common would ultimately grow bored and lose interest.
But most of all—because this question spoke most to a man’s integrity, his morals, his character—he wondered what challenges had been placed before Ryan, and how he’d coped with them.
As he drove his Slate toward Valleyview Electric, George’s thoughts turned toward his former life. He adored New Orleans. Its decadent beauty. Its quirky charm. Its live-and-let-live vibe. He’d never deny the strengths of that city.
But he could never return to the Big Easy.
To visit, yes.
To live? Hell no.
He had his parents to blame for that.
But it wasn’t something they did.
Instead, it was a tragedy brought upon them by a culprit who was never apprehended.
Something completely out of their control.
Something from which George would never fully recover.
About the Author
Dann writes gay romance novels along with other queer-themed works. He especially enjoys writing about men who, while dealing with trauma or other challenges, find themselves falling in love despite themselves. He also feels it’s important to include allies who often provide good advice to their gay friends in a troublesome relationship.
When not writing, Dann enjoys running, reading in many genres, watching high quality movies and television series, and snuggling with his adorable American Eskimo dog, appropriately named Flurry. He loves showtunes (of course), golden oldies, classical music, and disco divas.
Currently, Dann and his husband, Josh, reside in the Roanoke, VA area.
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