He was also not at all married to Oliver’s mother, a washerwoman, who died when Oliver was only six.”Oliver Meacham, bastard nephew of the Duke of Drakewell, and a massive disappointment to his father, has just lost all his male relatives to the war with the invading Sels from the West. Without an heir, the duchy of Drakewell stands to fall into enemy hands, unless one of Oliver’s cousins can marry a lord with an army strong enough to defend it – which is how he finds himself escorting his cousin Tessa to the Great Northern Wastes; to the kingdom of Aeretoll, with a hope that Tessa might wed the fearsome warrior king who rules there, Erik Frodeson, in order to protect her people.But the stern, forbidding Erik refuses to marry. He offers his nephew’s hand to Tessa instead. And to Oliver he offers insult, challenge – and the sorts of loaded glances that leave Oliver as flustered as he is furious.Tessa doesn’t relish the prospect of marrying for a political alliance, but she’s ready to fulfill her duty to her family and people – even more so when she realizes that she won’t have to wed the churlish Erik, but his charming nephew, instead. Only…the king has two nephews. And Tessa has a choice to make.The Drake Chronicles is a slow-burn fantasy series, full of court intrigue, adventure, drama, dragons, and passionate romance. Heavily influenced by Viking history and mythology, the series follows the intertwining stories of multiple couples as they fall in love, and fight to save their families, and their kingdoms.

    And Jesco Currane has just gotten stuck with him on the most frustrating case of their careers.When the body of a courier is discovered in an alley, Jesco is called in to assist with his seer skills. All he has to do is touch the clothing of the deceased to identify the killer. But the victim has been stripped naked, and the only evidence at the scene is a timepiece. The people he sees within it have nothing to do with the murder, yet they must be related to the case.Chasing down leads with Scoth lets Jesco see another side of the surly, if handsome, detective. But as their feelings for each other grow heated, so does the investigation. Someone doesn’t want them to know who killed the courier . . . and plans to add them to the death toll if they don’t stop pursuing it.

    He's carrying a torch for a fellow pirate with the sexual awareness of a teaspoon. Rumors say the man has killed hundreds. He's determined to knock some sense into the work-a-holic that captains the Midnight Sun, but damned if he knows how.Eric Deumont has more pressing concerns than the treasure-obsessed Kyros. There's a creature inked into his chest that no witch in the seas will lay hands on for all the gold in the world. He knows it gives the Midnight Sun a cursed reputation and that doesn't make living any easier. He has heard stories of spirits trapped for lifetimes inside spelled puzzle jars. Eric tracked down three of the pieces for such a jar with a lead number four. The fifth is still out there.Even then, the spirit of vengeance that lives in Eric's skin has no intention of giving up such easy access to the mortal realm. It craves blood and the light of the moon allows it to wreak unchecked havoc. Cursed is an insult. This is madness.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It 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.

    It’s lust at first sight for Vorgell—but honestly, he can’t help it. Unicorn horn is a potent aphrodisiac, and now he can’t stop thinking about sex. Luckily, Madd is one male witch who knows how to put Vorgell’s new magical body to good use when he tricks Vorgell into a kiss that helps them escape.Vorgell may desire sex in general—and Madd in particular—but Madd has no intention of being screwed by a man twice his size. He has problems of his own, including an enchanted collar that causes him to desire his most hated enemy. He wants that collar off as soon as possible, but that requires stealing a basilisk egg from the castle they just escaped.Drawn together by lust and magic, the two men join forces and soon find themselves up to their necks in witches, wizards, and trouble. Vorgell and Madd might just be perfect for each other, but first they have to survive long enough to find out.

    He’s got no girlfriend, no passion for his lackluster college education, and lives at home with his mother. Unfortunately for him, he also has incredible bad luck, stumbling into the dangerous aftermath of a duel between a wizard and a dark sorcerer. Somehow, he makes it through the fight, and even ends up with a book full of cursed spells and a magical familiar in the form of an attractive (though centuries out of fashion) young woman. Daniel isn’t the only one aware of the reemergence of the Book of Sins, and he quickly discovers that it’s one of the most coveted magical artifacts known to man. He’s got a target on his back, and only through undergoing the book’s convoluted spell trials can he unlock the magical abilities he needs to defend himself. WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content, gratuitous violence, and adult situations (including infidelity). Reader discretion is advised.

    Though he never expects to get rich, he’s fared well enough to stay comfortable with his quirky metaphysical store, Shoemaker’s Magick Shoppe. But when the economy falls on hard times, his store pays the price. As each month passes, slow sales turn into no sales, and soon Logan’s living off ramen noodles and sleeping in a freezing house during the cold winter nights as he struggles to make ends meet. His personal life isn’t much better—the worse business at the store grows, the more isolated and lonely he becomes. After a string of mishaps that wipe out the last of his small savings, he finally hits rock bottom the day he discovers the disconnection notice from the electric company hanging on his door. That night, desperate and in despair, he makes a plea to the universe, asking for help. Needless to say, he never anticipates receiving a response so quickly. Not only does he awaken the next morning to find on his kitchen table four little bottles of a special potion labeled “PASSION,” but he keeps remembering the erotically charged dream he’d had during the night. A dream where a tall, gorgeous man with pointed ears comes to his bed and shows him just what kind of magick they can make together. But was it a dream? All Logan knows is that his customers can’t get enough of the special potion—an aphrodisiac—and he can’t stop thinking about the sweet seduction of the nighttime visitor who made it. As he tries to sort out what’s real and what’s not, he discovers there’s a much bigger world out there than he’d ever believed, and his true heart’s desire might come in a most unexpected form...

    Charles knows just what to do with the scared feline. If only her love life were as easy to deal with as her love for familiars.Vampire Brody Carmichael hasn’t been living in Sable Cove long, but he likes the quietness of the small, seaside town. A transplant from a big city, he’s enjoying the laid-back attitude of the townsfolk and trying to figure out how to get to know the gorgeous witch Delaney. When a warlock tries to abduct an abandoned familiar and it appears that Delaney’s life is in jeopardy, Brody will stop at nothing to protect her and get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the kitten.Will Delaney get an opportunity to find out what Brody looks like underneath the uniform, or will her life be snuffed out before she even has a chance to discover what it’s like to kiss a man with fangs?

    The voices in his head are getting louder, weirder, and more numerous. But tattoos appearing on his skin say that there might be a magical reason, something other than his own brain going around the bend. He's worked up the nerve to ask the local necromancer for help. Now he just has to survive his encounter with tall, dark, and talks-to-ghosts.Necromancer Silas Thornwood doesn't appreciate being woken out of his bed by a stranger pounding on his door. But when that stranger turns out to be a half-frozen young man with an unexpected appeal, Silas can't turn him away. Even Grim, his cat-familiar, agrees— in a world of death and demons, protecting gorgeous, ghost-ridden Darien is Silas's next difficult job.

    A member of the Brotherhood of Ormarr, son of Cadmar, and the eldest of four sons. I was raised to defend the innocent and protect the secret of the dragons, but when I was eighteen, my parents were brutally murdered and the training and care of my brothers fell to me. My entire adult life has been spent helping my brothers grow into the strong, brave dragon riders they were born to be. Now that the youngest of my brothers is close to adulthood, the last thing I need is someone else to worry about—someone else to be responsible for. If only the handsome doctor fate had chosen for my mate wasn’t so perfect for me. Toby~ AlI I ever wanted was to help people, that’s why I became a doctor, but I quickly learned that modern medicine was more about the all-mighty dollar and less about saving lives. It wasn’t long before I was doubting my life choices. A vacation to the ocean was supposed to leave me refreshed and ready to get back to work, but instead, I found myself pulled into a world I never knew existed. A world where dragons are real, men fight like medieval warriors, and my soulmate has his very own bat cave. Azaran thinks the last thing he needs is a mate to worry about. Good thing I don’t need anyone to take care of me. My sexy dragon rider, on the other hand, needs someone to take care of him, and I think I’m just the man to do it. Azaran is the first book in The Brotherhood of Ormarr series. While each book focuses on a different couple, the overall story arc continues in the next installment. For maximum enjoyment, we suggest reading in order. Azaran is a m/m romance, and is recommended for adults 18 years and older.

    But when he saves an enemy soldier using clockwork parts, he’s well aware he risks hanging for treason. That doesn’t worry him half as much, however, as the realization he’s falling for his patient.Johann Berger never expected to survive his regiment’s suicide attack on Calais, much less wake up with mechanical parts. To avoid discovery, he’s forced to hide in plain sight as Cornelius’s lover—a role Johann finds himself taking to surprisingly well.When a threat is made on Cornelius’s life, Johann learns the secret of the device implanted in his chest—a mythical weapon both warring countries would kill to obtain. Caught up in a political frenzy, in league with pirates, dodging rogue spies, mobsters and princesses with deadly parasols, Cornelius and Johann have no time to contemplate how they ended up in this mess. All they know is, the only way out is together—or not at all.Warning: Contains tinkers, excessive clockwork appendages, and a cloud-sweeping tour of Europe. A little absinthe, a little theft, a little exhibitionism. Men who love men, women who love women, and some who aren’t particular.

    Rain and Aiden James! Gabriel Radu isn’t your average 'thirtyish' detective... that’s because he's a three-hundred-year-old warlock. Residing in the quaint but quirky town of Denmark, Tennessee, the semi-immortal 'Gabe' is called upon from time to time to assist local law enforcement in solving unusual crimes that often end in murder. And, by unusual, the crimes always involve something he's quite familiar with: Magic. When Sheriff Billy McCain comes calling for help in solving the brutal slayings of a pair of homeless men, whose corpses have been marked by a dark snake and scythe symbol beneath the napes of their necks, Gabriel eagerly accepts the challenge to help solve the case and bring the killer, or killers, to justice. But the assignment comes with a terrifying caveat... the mark left upon both victims points to an ancient entity that rarely visits our world. Known in Gabe’s Romanian homeland as the Sufletul, or Soul Taker, in the previous centuries this immortal fiend has arisen, it has left widespread death and destruction in its wake. The initial killings soon begin to multiply, and the mysterious reasons behind why this ancient menace has chosen the tiny town of Denmark begin to come into focus for Gabriel. Relying on his investigative instincts and courage, as well as precious insights from trusted friends and his family of witches and warlocks, the quest to stop the growing body count before it erupts into uncontrolled carnage brings Gabriel closer and closer to a confrontation with... The Soul Taker.

    But then what?Cole Alpin runs a small-town candy store. He visits his grandmother twice a week. And sometimes he breaks curses.Leo Ericson’s curse is obvious right away, spiderwebbing across his very nice body. Though something about it worries Cole, he agrees to help—with little idea of what he’s getting into.Leo is a serial monogamist, but his vampire ex has taken dating off the table with his nasty spell, and Leo needs Cole’s companionship as much as his help. When the hex proves to be only the beginning of his problems, Leo seeks refuge at Cole’s place. Too bad magic prevents him from finding refuge in Cole’s arms.Cole’s never had a boyfriend, so how can he recognize true love? And there’s still the matter of the one responsible for their troubles in the first place….

    When Victor meets Orsen Riggs, a scruffy bear shifter, and little Gus, an orphaned red panda cub, his orderly, structured world becomes messy and chaotic. All the things he once held true suddenly don’t make sense. Asked to help the Smith pack navigate the difficult world of shifter politics, Victor realizes he might not know himself as well as he thought. Magic is in the air, and it’s making him long for things he never wanted before. But duty comes before all else, even at a price Victor no longer wants to pay.

    There’s only one problem: in order for Garrik to be crowned, he must possess Wytch power of his own, and thus far, whatever power Garrik might possess has shown no sign of awakening. As things stand, it is Garrik’s younger brother, Jaire — a dreamer completely unsuited to wear the crown — who will take the throne after their father.Concerned about the future of his kingdom, the Wytch King demands that Garrik’s power be forcibly awakened. Hoping to protect his brother from the burden of rule, Garrik allows the attempt — with disastrous results. Now, Garrik must learn to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything he loves.Wytch Master Ilya has been alone for years. Learning to control the icy beast slumbering within him has already cost him his family and his lover, and Ilya will never open himself up to that kind of pain again. Summoned to Altan to avert disaster if he can, Ilya has no intention of allowing anyone to thaw the ice in his heart. When he meets Prince Garrik, sparks fly, and Ilya finds himself fighting feelings he thought he'd buried, long ago.Can Garrik’s fire melt Ilya’s icy heart? Or will Ilya be forced to use his ice to quench the flames that burn within Garrik once and for all?

     "Those who try to change Form without likewise shifting Function are doomed to a lifetime of agony and mediocrity--or they make the best assassins." -Auld Wynfor Ganlin An orphan with powers not seen in a thousand years, trapped in a world only she can see, her life a waking nightmare. A boy long ago lost to his family, forced to masquerade as the enemy by one of his own, his continued facade his people's only hope of salvation. An immortal trapped in the flesh of a man, a prisoner for something he has not yet done, fleeing something he thought he had killed. A girl abandoned in the mountains, without memories or a note, her people the stuff of legends, but whose villages have never been found. Meet these and many more incredible characters as they engage in a complex struggle for survival in the latest gripping King book, set in a realm about to plunge in a downward spiral of politics, death, and treachery. Like all King novels, every chapter of this epic fantasy adventure will leave you immersed in her world until you've turned the very last page, going toe-to-toe with the classics. If you enjoy sword and sorcery and are looking for a heart-pounding action & adventure, get ready to be blown away. This is an ILLUSTRATED serialized novel, with each part being approximately 70,000 words, and containing exclusive access to Lance MacCarty's desktop backgrounds and full-resolution downloadable images of the scenes contained within the book.