"Not only does [Love in the Balance] have love and excitement, but it has issues very close to all of us." (The Alabama Forum Gaiety)

"Marianne Martin is a wonderful storyteller and a graceful writer with a light, witty touch with language and a sensitivity to the emotions of people in love." (Ann Bannon)

Real life has a way of sneaking up on you.

Connie dates men. Sure, she's just dumped one, and she'll take her time finding another one. Instead she finds Kasey who happens to be a woman, a lesbian, actually. Connie assumes they'll be good friends, but soon realizes she wants more.

Kasey, though, has already had her heart broken. Her ex-girlfriend left her for a man. Kasey won't take a chance on that happening again. And her friends won't let her, either. Especially not Sharon.

If this is love, Connie has a lot of convincing to do and a lot of people to win over. Just when it seems like maybe she has, real life comes sneaking up again. Some people hate lesbians, hate them enough to kill. And it's not obvious that the authorities care. Connie and Kasey and Sharon must each put their doubts to the side and work together to get justice.

Marianne K. Martin is the author of eight novels and has been shortlisted three times for the Lambda Literary Award.