J. Ronald M. York

In York's latest novel, Charlie's Encore, the characters from the Nathaniel trilogy and the cast from the Peeper trilogy come together to save Charlie's, Bellwood's original gay bar. Peggy, the owner of Charlie's, is struggling to keep the bar afloat as it faces competition for the first time. Meanwhile, Mike's interior design business is threatened by a former business associate who has joined forces with one of Mike's friends in a vendetta to take over his business. Set in the present day of the pandemic and political unrest, these threats against Mike and his adopted family escalate into more ominous threats. Mike's significant other, Ricky, enlists the help of his own friends from Hillmont to protect Mike and save Charlie's. Diana and the gang from the Peeper series also come to Bellwood to help, even though they are still mourning the deaths of Jim and Jeff. The two families unite in an effort to protect Mike and save Charlie's bar from closing.