A temple slave tends a man due to be sacrificed. A soldier releases a genie. In seven fantasy short stories and novellas, men find passion with other men in the most unexpected places, and even the gravest circumstances may open the door to hope and love. This anthology includes two brand-new short stories. In “The Sacrifice,” Rylo is a temple slave tasked with comforting a man who is scheduled to be killed in the morning. In “Chasing Away Cold,” Daku builds an ice sculpture of the god Jarli in order to ensure the end of winter. The collection also includes three novellas and two additional short stories, gathered for the first time in a single volume. “Treasure” introduces Jules, a young man who travels to the quirky seaside town of Urchin Cove to regain his health—and finds an unexpected treasure washed up on the beach. Xolani, a soldier in “Three Wishes,” picks up a small glass bottle and unleashes a surprise. Another soldier, Volos in “Guarded,” will risk everything to save Prince Berhanu. In the sequel, “Mato’s Tale,” an unassuming innkeeper gets a chance for adventure. And in “The Downs,” Enitan is unjustly banished and comes to discover that the demons he must face aren’t the ones he expected. Join Kim Fielding on journeys through imagined worlds where magic is commonplace and romance lies just around the next bend. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers.

    These sweaty, dusty icons of the West, past and present, still melt hearts and raise pulse rates, whether the man's wearing a ten-gallon hat, chaps and spurs, or nothing at all. In these stories of romance with a Western flair, love softens the most hardened range rider and passion fires the most stoic ramrod's blood. Fate may throw a few twists in their path, but at the end of the day, these men will be riding double into the sunset. Maria Albert - Surviving the CrossingK.R. Foster - Mr. AugustLacey-Anne Frye - Trial By FireMaggie Lee - Hitting the TrailRowan McAllister - Courtin' Trouble J.M. McLaughlin - Facing UpZahra Owens - DelugeJane Seville - In TemperanceKate Sherwood - Rode Hard and Put Away WetAriel Tachna - Out on the Range B.G. Thomas - The Real Thing Xara X. Xanakas - Cowboys and IT-ians

    Faced with the possibility of being left behind, Jesse vows to care for her young son, though he’s not convinced he can.When Trip Cantrell returns to town, he’s blindsided the instant he’s reunited with his kid brother’s lifelong friend, Jesse. His inability to find happiness in the years he’s been gone, suddenly makes sense. Love’s been waiting at home all along.Life begins to look promising, except for the fact that neither have come out of the closet publicly, and that’s not even their biggest problem. Someone has a secret so shocking they may never find a way past it.Will they be accepted in their small Texas town, or will secrets, lies, and the threat of tragedy destroy everything?

    During a fierce storm, a stranger seeks shelter in Dafydd's remote cottage. He is no ordinary traveler-he is Christopher, King of Lysnowydh. The wild passion that flares between them rivals the storm, and love moves King Christopher's heart to name Dafydd Marshal of his troops to keep him close. However, love is never simple or safe when it must endure the pressures of political life. Though Dafydd proves himself in battle, Lysnowydh's nobles protest his rise in position and power. Forces will conspire against Dafydd and Christopher, and they must endure treason, treachery, and the demands of a kingdom requiring an heir to secure their happiness together.

    His boss is on his back, his car is breaking down, and the oppressive heat is broiling him alive. There s no end in sight to his misery.Tall, slender, green-eyed Keith runs the lunch shift at the local diner, an air-conditioned oasis away from what John s life has become. Keith s cheerful personality, constant smile and unbearably sexy body help to remind John that summer is what he makes of it. And with Keith s cooperation, John plans on making this his best summer yet.Warning:Warning: This story contains two hot guys having hot sex one hot summer. Lots of hotness. Please be advised that a fire extinguisher may come in handy; so would ice cubes, used at your discretion."

     Six years after meeting British soldier Aiden Foster during the Christmas Truce of 1914, Jochen Weber still finds himself thinking about Aiden, their shared conversation about literature, and Aiden’s beautiful singing voice. A visit to London gives Jochen the opportunity to search for Aiden, but he’s shocked at what he finds. The uniform button Jochen gave him is the only thing Aiden has left of the past he’s lost. The war and its aftermath ripped everything away from him, including his family and his music. When Jochen reappears in his life, Aiden enjoys their growing friendship but knows he has nothing to offer. Not anymore. Author’s note: This story was originally published in 2014 by another publisher. This edition has some added content, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

    Dating services, matchmakers, family introductions, even unlikely friends... the means may differ, and the road probably won't run straight, but "happily ever after" is guaranteed at the end. It's about romance and heart, but some steamy attraction never hurts! Be it a perfect stranger or a crush from long ago, all it takes is a little help to find that certain someone and "Make Me a Match."Stories included are:The Perfect Match by Jaelyn Storm Crash and Burn by Catt Ford Third Time's the Charm by Chrissy Munder Dear Alex by Clare London How to Woo a Straight Man by Jaymz Connelly Three on a Match by Nicki Bennett

    Partner in a thriving veterinarian clinic with his best friend Stacey, he has a great dog, a favorite Chinese take-out place and a great DVD collection. The only thing he doesn't have is a special someone to share his life with. When Ben has a number of poisoned animals come through his clinic, he call in the police, suspecting that these aren't random tragedies, but deliberate killings. Enter Constable Tim Geary. Dog and cat poisonings are fairly low on the priority list, but Tim decides to look into them. The attraction between Tim and Ben is immediate and soon Chinese food and more is on the menu. Life has a way of trying to keep the boys apart, though. Can they find a way to overcome their busy lives and be together?

    After tragically losing a rare love, Tory immerses himself in the pages of a Wild West mail-order bride magazine, where he stumbles on the advertisement of frontiersman and Civil War veteran Franklin Ausmus. Torsten and Franklin begin an innocent correspondence—or as innocent as it can be, considering Torsten keeps his true gender hidden. But when his parents discover the letters, Tory is forced out on his own. With nowhere else to go, he boards a train for the Black Hills and Franklin’s homestead, Moonlight Gulch.Franklin figures Tory for a drifter, but he’s lonely after ten years of living in the backcountry alone, and his “girl” in Chicago has mysteriously stopped writing, so he hires Tory on as his ranch hand. Franklin and Tory grow closer while defending the land from outlaws who want the untapped gold in Franklin’s creek, but then Franklin learns Tory’s true identity and banishes Tory from his sight. Will their lives be forever tattered, or will Torsten—overhearing a desperate last-ditch scheme to snatch Franklin’s gold—be able to save Moonlight Gulch and his final shot at love?

    He didn't expect a glance from one man to change his entire life. Cory Chow is the world's top underground fight club star and a sex slave to his owner. Cory hates his life and one sympathetic glance from the brawny stranger on the sidelines makes Cory realize what he's missing. Cory will do whatever it takes to escape his owner and find the love he craves. But the owner of a million-dollar baby isn't going to let go of his slave so easily and both Cory and Mike will face the fight of their lives.

    When a new friendship leads to a secret opportunity, one more dangerous than ever before, Jim agrees to step in front of the camera but finds himself baring much more than his skin.A twisting historical romance set in the fog of Victorian London, Captured Shadows follows the path of love, blackmail and obsession to a devastating climax.

    So when Tony—his best friend, occasional lover, and a complete screw-up—comes to him in trouble, Brendan is determined to help. Tony is being blackmailed by the owner of a “molly house”, the private club that Tony—and other like-minded gentlemen—frequent in order to indulge their entertainment needs.Brendan is disappointed in his friend, but goes to seek the help of his older brother’s military commander. Philip Carlisle is a gentleman to Society, and also a man Brendan’s brother trusted completely and told his younger brother to seek out if he ever was in trouble. Philip is a 40-year-old widower, and finds himself charmed, for the first time, by an attractive young man. Brendan is likewise besotted with hero-worship, especially when Philip turns the tables on the blackmailer and saves the day for many of Society’s closeted sons.What follows is a tale of desire, regrets, cross-country pursuit, hidden identities, lovers torn asunder then reunited, clever cover stories, and the requisite pistols at dawn.

    The leader, Marguerite May, writes romance novels, and not just any kind: The dude/dude kind that are so freakin hot, Heath gets embarrassed to critique them. But don't tell anybody: He secretly adores her books and buys them all. With a fake ID.Marguerite’s son, Ryan, just happens to be the most beautiful guy in the universe. Confident, athletic, and with such a cool mom, Ryan’s got everything a high school senior could want—which is everything Heath lacks. Too bad Ryan is straight. But thanks to a flaky computer and an unexpected request, Heath will get to know his idols better, and he’ll discover that nothing he believes about them is true.

    All these stories reflect the iconic sights and national character of the British Isles: a taste of our idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, but also an unashamed representation of the love, loyalty and laughter of our people. Follow the British way of life from historic villages to modern cities, from the countryside to the sea, through history and with a fantasy twist, in gardens, shops, campus and the familiar, much-loved local pub. The stories cover universal themes of romance, desire, remembrance and reconciliation. The authors range from multi-published to up-and-coming, and they all share a passion for their characters, whether through great drama, erotic excitement, humour—or a combination of all three! Contents: The worst pub in London / JL Merrow — Our place / Clare London — We’ll always have Brighton / Zahra Owens — Commission and omission / Charlie Cochrane — Paint / Stevie Carroll — Ben’s new colleague / Serena Yates — Giving it up / Josephine Myles — Thoughts in spring / Mara Ismine — Mouth Almighty / Victoria Blisse — Reunion / Lisa Worrall — While the boys are away / Lucy Felthouse — Nessie / Caroline Stephens — Slap and Motley / Sandra Lindsey — Like a girl / JL Merrow — Last client / Jay Rookwood — Sunshine Superman / Elin Gregory — Escape to the country / Stevie Woods — Prince Charming’s Buttons / Stevie Carroll — Yesterday upon the stairs / Erastes — Benefits of peace / Alex Beecroft — They who come after the stories end / Sophia Deri-Bowen A revealing collection of short LGBT fiction, available free of charge from Smashwords; edited by: Josephine Myles, Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London and JL Merrow. This anthology is a souvenir of the 2011 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love.

    It doesn’t bother him that Doug is a man, much less a player. What matters is that he’s a perfect candidate for a no-strings-attached night that just might help Craig prove to himself that he’s not as broken as he fears. One night—that’s all it was supposed to be. But one night turns into yearning, turns into e-mailing, turns into communicating, turns into Doug hoping against hope that Craig might feel the same frightening attachment that he feels, pretty please? With cherries on top?