But over the years, he turned himself into a gorgeous gym god. The problem is he’s also become an egotistical snob. But one day his arrogance pisses off the wrong little old lady, and he wakes up to find that, like the Prince in Beauty and the Beast, he’s been transformed into something from his personal nightmares. Javier has nowhere to go but back home, where to his surprise, he is greeted with open arms, not just by the family he remembers, but by his new brother-in-law, Cole. Cole suspects there might be a pretty heart to go with the pretty face locked inside that new body, but has Javier learned enough to earn Cole—instead of coal—for Christmas?

    They are a product of the Love Is Always Write promotion sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group and are published as a free gift to you.What Is Love Is Always Write?The Goodreads M/M Romance Group invited members to choose a photo and pen a letter or story prompt asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter or story prompt and write an original tale. The result was an outpouring of creativity that shone a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they do. Nearly 150 stories were submitted and published as a ten volume set – as well as an additional special bonus volume with three novel-length stories – titled Love Is Always Write; this edition is Volume Seven. Whether you are an avid M/M romance reader or new to the genre, you are in for a delicious treat.Stories in Volume 6:LIKE SO MUCH HOT AIR – Kathleen Hayes (contemporary/action/adventure)THE LUXURY OF VENGEANCE – Isabella Carter (fantasy/royalty)MAGICK'S CUCUMBER – H.A. Caine (paranormal/family drama)A MAGNETIC COUPLE DILEMMA – Naaju Rorrete (contemporary/friends-to-lovers)MAN-TO-MAN COVERAGE – Nico Jaye (contemporary/gay-for-you)MARKING TIME – CJ Anthony (contemporary/friends-to-lovers/DADT)MAVERICK: SLAYER OF SLAYERS – Mark Alders (sci-fi/universe)MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT – Embry Carlysle (paranormal romance/shape-shifters)MY LORD’S JUDGEMENT – Taylor Law (paranormal/action/adventure)THE NEXT STEP – J.A. Rock (paranormal contemporary/shifters)NO DISTRACTIONS – Em Woods (contemporary/established couples)NO FAULT OF HIS OWN – Sara York (contemporary/illness/disease)Words of Caution:The stories in this collection are sexually explicit and intended for adult readers. Some stories may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    He watches his gorgeous new neighbor swim every morning, but has no idea how to approach him. He doesn't even know his name.Jonah is a bouncer with an 'I'm Deaf, deal with it' attitude. He doesn't like the way Scott lets people treat him. So why can't he stop thinking about him?Original Prompt:Dear Author,There's a new guy that's just moved into my building. I see him swimming laps in the complex pool every day in his little speedo-esque suit. I can tell from his tats that he's a bit of a bad boy (my favorite kind), but I'm too shy to approach him. Is he as tough & intense as he looks or is the cuddly teddy bear with an edge that I'm secretly looking for??Photo Description: A hard-bodied man leans against a pale wall, one hand dragging his black Calvins low over his hip. A swirling tattoo graces one muscular arm from shoulder to elbow. Light-brown eyes stare out challengingly from under damp dark hair. He has a hint of a beard, and a double silver chain drapes around his neck over lightly-furred pecs.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Download the story from the Author's website (pdf, epub, mobi and lit formats) or Goodreads, read it online or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 2.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: gay m/m, deaf, tattoo, 'retired' bad boy, paranormal elements, being out in loveWord Count: 16,334

    City boys forced to accept their wilder side. Primal danger. The Call anthology has all this and more. Three stories give us an inside view of the life of the wolf. Jourdan Lane, author of the popular Soul Mates series, gives us Instinct. Construction worker Ethan hates being a werewolf. He hates the man who made him what he is. When he meets Noah, he finds a fellow wolf who wants his help, and his body. Can he open up to Noah enough to put aside his fear? And what happens when the man who turned him wants him back? Emily Veinglory pairs the small town werewolf Nate with the city boy Steven. When Steven's car breaks down at Nate's gas station, Nate figures he's found something worth keeping. He has secrets, though, and he might be too wild for the sophisticated Steven. Can he juggle his past and make a new life? From BA Tortuga comes Home Fires, the story of Houston, who escapes torturous captivity to return to his mate, Jackson. Jackson welcomes Houston back to their remote New Mexico home, and sets about healing Houston, body and soul. Can they remove the scars that Houston can't hide? And can the two wolves escape the ghosts of the past when they come looking. Run with this anthology today!

    Except a life and love. A freak storm changes all that when it hurls him into the darkness. He wakes up to find he s been thrust into a world of promiscuous and directionally challenged beings, sensually sentient water and servants created solely to fulfill any imaginable fantasy. The sexuality he s long denied is tested to its limits, especially when a darkly erotic wizard issues the ultimate challenge. If Kansas wants to go home, he must fulfill one task. Resist the allure of the unbearably beautiful king. Sounds easy enough. Until he gets a look at the golden monarch. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Kansas quickly realizes this is a challenge he is doomed to fail. Yet he has to try. Before he loses his heart."

    Paul was the six-year-old boy who kissed him after Patrick helped find his mom in a mall full of Christmas shoppers, the teenager who showed him kindness at Christmas when Patrick needed it most, and the lover who has shared his life after a chance meeting, three Christmases ago.When Paul holds out the faded scrap of paper, Patrick feels his carefully constructed world crumble around him. Will Paul still love him even knowing the secrets he has kept hidden? In the glow of the Christmas lights, Patrick has to face his innermost fears with the man who has always been his whole world.

    But they soon discover there is no rest for the weary as they are immediately faced with another crisis—missing loved ones that seemed to have disappeared into thin air. With no leads and no idea if their loved ones are dead or alive, the gangsters are desperate to dig up a single clue—anything to set them in the right direction.As the gangsters are about to lose hope, an unexpected lead takes them to the last place their loved ones were seen. With a reluctant witness and a forced confession, they are left with little to go on… until a group of strangers—in search of their own lost loved ones—provide another piece of the puzzle that ultimately leads the two clans to a place of hellish imaginations… and terrifying revelations.THE BASE... After the unexpected, violent encounter with his arch-enemy Alexander Kane, Ardan MacNamara, the founder of The Base sanctuary for child prostitution victims, finally closes the door on his dark past. His honorary adoptive father, Fabian Bloom, who also suffered horrific physical, sexual and mental abuse at Kane's hands, no longer looks over his shoulder, enjoying his new life to the fullest.But then, Ardan's three sons and their friends are kidnapped in broad daylight, only a few hundred yards away from The Base, and the two men's world collapses. Numerous search parties are organized and no stone is left unturned, but the kids are nowhere to be found. The evil force behind the kidnapping seems to be greater and more dangerous than anything Ardan and Fabian fought against.Desperate situations require desperate measures and, for the first time, the two men search for help outside their circle of traditional allies. Even if they'll find it, Ardan and Fabian are aware that, this time, they may not make it out alive.

    But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love among men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of love lost and regained will lead you home.Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.Ava March, “’Twas the Night”Percival Owen yearns for the nights when he can kneel before his lover, even though no self-respecting gentleman willingly submits to another. Michael wants his first Christmas with Percy to be perfect, but is frustrated by Percy’s inability to ask for what he wants. The gift Michael offers Percy—and that Percy offers in return—is the best Percy could ever hope to receive: his will to submit.Jane Davitt, “Tree Topper”Martin’s new to the scene, and his sub Stan has recently stopped taking him seriously. Their tree has floggers, clamps, and cuffs underneath it, but will they ever be used? Frustrated and confused, Martin knows it will take more than a star to guide him on his way to becoming the Dom Stan needs—but their path to happiness might be shorter than he thinks.L.A. Witt, “Candy Caning”Nate is dreading the annual Christmas visit with his family, during which they will ignore or insult his partner and Dominant. Stephen tries hard to take Nate’s mind off the trip with the promise—and threat—of a three-foot-long candy cane. It’s a race to see if Nate’s resolve or the candy cane will shatter first.Alexa Snow, “Ring Out the Old and In the New”Recovering from a mugging on the London Underground, Evan has barely left the house in weeks. His partner and Dom, Russell, finally manages to drag him outside on Christmas Eve, but it’s the surprise that Russell has waiting for him back home that helps Evan get past his trauma and remember what’s important: being on his knees for the man he loves.Elyan Smith, “Open Return”Fifteen years ago, Zach left the small Midwestern town he grew up in, confused and scared and determined to figure out who he was. Now transformed, he’s drawn back by the memory and promise of the dominant couple he left behind. Laura and Scott are still together, and as the year draws to a close, they explore old feelings and new ones as they discover they’ve all been waiting for Zach to come home.Kim Dare, “His Very Last Chance”Drew screwed up. So when his master, Kingsley, summons him on New Year’s Eve, he knows he deserves the punishment in store for him. Everything changed for Kingsley when he overheard Drew running his mouth to his friends on Boxing Day. Now, there’s only one way he can possibly ring in the New Year: starting over fresh, either with an ending or a new beginning.Katie Porter, “Fireworks”Rachel’s job is taking her to Tokyo, which means leaving behind her lover and submissive, Emma. When she summons Emma for one last hurrah on New Year’s Eve, Emma answers, hoping desperately to be able to break through her ma’am’s emotional barriers and find the spark of love among the glittering fireworks.Joey W. Hill, “Submissive Angel”After Robert found Ange bleeding in an alley, he employed the man in his vintage toy store as an act of charity. However, this Christmas, the eccentric young dancer will offer his thanks—and himself—to teach a brokenhearted Master how to open his heart to love again.

    Everyday life, jobs and hectic schedules, constantly test those who have been lucky enough to find true love.For Carrick Masters an orthopedic surgeon and Edward Boyd a young and talented defense attorney, hectic doesn’t even begin to describe their lives. The two men struggle to find balance, but it’s going to take more than a date-night, to get them back to what is truly important.

    Incest is one of the untouchables, a taboo that even in alternative cultures is often still looked on negatively. But how can something that feels so right be wrong? In Fraternal Devotion, the focus is on brotherly love--in every sense of the word. These are tales of love, lust, devotion, and passion as real as any other romance. Why should the fact that the two men are brothers take away from that? This collection may challenge your assumptions and beliefs, but may also melt your heart. Not to mention steam up your glasses.Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between War and Peace and Brotherhood. After nineteen months apart, Brandon Patrell, of Analgesia, is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing. A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools.Jeremy has been On Clouds of Obsession since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding. Songwriter Andrew lives life On the Edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.

    He is a sensation, a rising star. He is also a slave, owned wholly and completely by NewWorld Media.But before he was a star, he was a frightened child from a bad place with a promising, if limited, future ahead of him. In "The New Kid", young Daniel begins his schooling. Then, for a slave, the simple pleasure of a "Bathroom Break" is sometimes the only pleasure to be had. Later, Daniel doesn't know it, but "A Chance Encounter" might be the most important of his life. Next, in "Camera Obscura", one of Daniel's colleagues reflects on the fact that as much as the camera may show, it can hide even more. Finally, when you're a slave, "Independence Day" is just another day.Exclusive Bonus Content!Excerpt from "Anchored" by Rachel Haimowitz, the debut novel in the Belonging seriesThe never-before-published prologue to "Anchored"A sneak peek at "Counterpunch", the upcoming Belonging novel by Aleksandr Voinov

    Let me know how his guardian angel became involved in his life, how he got so wrapped up in this man that he would risk becoming a Fallen Angel. And please, most of all, have an HEA. Beautiful, loving sex scene(s) are greatly appreciated.Photo Description: An angel holding a man in his arms as he looks heavenward.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Download the story, read it online, or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 1.

    His boyfriend of three years dumped him, and his writing career is going nowhere. On a whim, he heads to Provincetown, Massachusetts, to nurse his broken heart and figure out his next step. He’s expecting to find rest and relaxation on the sandy beaches of Cape Cod. Instead, Zach meets a hunky porn star during a chance encounter at a leather shop he mistakes as a place to buy a belt that is definitely not for whipping. Van Pierce is smitten when shy and inexperienced Zach crashes through a shelf of fetish gear. Though Van’s got an insatiable appetite for men on and off the set, his porn persona, Hart Throb, hides a broken heart. He’s struggling to find the reality the porno set doesn’t offer, and Zach is fighting to find the fantasy that will set his writing on fire. The odd goofball and the suave beefcake may either find love amid Provincetown’s colorful pageantry where summer never seems to end—or more heartbreak than either can imagine.

    They're best friends through thick and thin until a practical joke leads Nate to a surprise revelation: If I had known just how thoroughly it would turn my world upside down, I would never have kissed Andy in that damned banquet room. I would have kissed him a hell of a lot sooner. Part of the Dreamspinner Press 'To Have and To Hold' daily romance series

    He's in awe of these magnificent warriors but has eyes for only one of them. Hondo is as thickheaded as they come. Everyone around him can see how Chris feels about the big, bad warrior-everyone except Hondo. When bizarre occurrences keep taking place in the demon realm, Chris is ready for action, rushing in where wise men fear to tread. Can Hondo keep Chris from running into a battle he may not survive, and can Hondo set aside their friendship and become a lover to the little demon who worships the very ground he walks on? Note: Each book in Lynn Hagen's Demon Warriors collection features a different romantic couple. Each title stands alone and can be read in any order. However, we recommend reading the series in sequential order.