He and Elise have been in Boston for eight years, he loves her, and she loves him. They’ve got a great apartment that’s kept its value, they’re both up for promotion, and he can hook up with any guy he likes—all the sex he wants, so long as it’s of the “no strings” variety. And that’s all fine and dandy… until a chance meeting at the checkout. * * * “This isn’t a fluffy m/m filled with stupid misunderstandings…this is a book about the cost of being truly grown up; not in a YA coming of age, but in a turning over a whole new chapter way, complete with love and loss. Excellent read.” “…wonderful and refreshing and just laugh out loud funny at times.” “A powerfully written, life changing book. A beautiful read.” * * * WARNING: this story contains sex acts between consenting male adults. * * * Also in this series: Checking Him Out For the Holidays - a Hanukkah/Christmas novella. Hiding Out - a Hiding Behind The Couch / Checking Him Out crossover novella.* * * * * * First published as part of the Love's Landscapes Anthology (DRiTC 2014, MMRomanceGroup.com), based on the prompt: Dear Author, When I met the love of my new life (his words not mine…ass), I was simply waiting in the checkout line. I might have been caught up in a conversation with my best friend/wife of X amount of years about something, I can’t remember at the moment. So anyway, we were distracted and didn’t notice that the line had moved. So after maybe 30 seconds, or a minute at the most (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that long), Mr. Impatient, with an accent like that character on The Originals (not that I watch that show at my age), got our attention in the rudest way in my opinion, or in my wife’s heart-of-a-ho opinion, the kindest way possible for our insensitive asses. I’m pretty sure his accent, mixed with his damn charm, got him out of more trouble than it should. We had a rough start, but we had quiet moments when we weren’t all over each other or fighting, in and out of bed. Anyway, I would love a story about our first year. P.S. I want a story with interesting secondary characters interacting with the main characters. I want it to be known that the marriage is a *lavender marriage—no one is being fooled here. I want humor mixed in with hot-damn, slightly overwhelming sex. Alpha males with a bad case of the giggles at inappropriate moments. No BDSM please. One other request is that I wish the main characters to be in the age range of late twenties to early thirties. *A lavender marriage is a “beard” marriage of convenience. Sincerely, T

    This takes place a few months after the end of A to Z, at about the same time as The Letter Z.Coda: Which book do I read first?

    Contains a whole lot of man-on-man love action, and an elopement to Gretna Green for a secret wedding.Impulsive and romantic, Connor is set to take over the family business, Sky High Scaffolds, with his siblings. But he might be ruled out as possible CEO, because even though he's almost thirty, he's still single.Connor makes a life-changing chance discovery about a member of his construction team. Lee is gay, but no one at work knows. The macho scaffolding crew aren’t known for their gay-friendliness.At twenty-nine years of age, sexy scaffolder Lee is looking for love and commitment. He’s not about to hook up with any straight guy who’s going through a gay experimental phase. Especially not his work colleague, Connor.Lee fears rejection if and when Connor wakes up and realizes he’s not bisexual and not into guys.Connor fears losing the love of his life if he can’t prove he’s serious about him and win Lee’s heart.Standalone novel, there is no cliffhanger, no cheating, and there is a happy ending. Book 1 in the Sky High Scaffolders series.55,000 words of gay construction workers friends to lovers romance.

    While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he'll find love-until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.Cody has just accomplished his life's goal-get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary's and gets a newfound family. All that's missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it's too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him... if Cody can accept what is offered.

    Short on funds, he takes a temporary job as a driver for Film Fest Chicago. In a very short time, Nick deals with stalking fans, a crowd of protesters, and a critic’s stolen wallet that leads to murder.

    Officer Ellis Mason has worked as a beat cop on the streets of Atlanta for over eight years, and he knows what it takes to survive them. But when Lieutenant Godfrey and his infamous narcotics task force issue a dire warning about a lethal drug that’s coming to the city, Mason finds himself fighting a war he’s not trained for, with God pushing him beyond his limits. Mason and his partner are both on high alert, but the moment he stops the tall, handsome drifter who wandered into town—with the saddest brown eyes he’s ever seen—Mason knows he doesn’t belong. Jesse Holstrom is lost and possibly in trouble, but Mason’s instincts tell him that it isn’t the drug-dealing kind. Every night that Mason patrols by and sees Jesse huddled on a park bench, cold and alone, it pulls at his heart a little more. Mason doesn’t know how the young man ended up homeless and lost in his neighborhood, but when Jesse ends up on God’s radar, Mason knows he doesn’t have long to find out. Mason promised himself he wouldn’t let a good thing slip through his fingers again… not this year.

    Not only is his high school crush back in his life, but he’s matured into a gruff, brooding, drop-dead-gorgeous specimen of a man that makes Marshall’s wet dreams seem about as exciting as drying paint. The only problem: Fox Fraser, the individual in question, is straight.Super straight.The kind of straight that would make a ruler jealous.But if what Marshall sees when he looks in Fox’s eyes is to be believed, he’s broken, too. There are scars inside of him that no one notices. No one but Marshall. It’s not wrong to want to help him, is it? To hire him to take care of things around the house so he can get back on his feet? It’s just work. Work that leads to lingering looks. To prolonged touches. To… mmph. It’s better not to think about it. Marshall’s fantasies aren’t real. A guy like Fox would never pin him to a wall and do things to him like that. Maybe. Probably. Right?After the Crash is the first book in the Small Town Hearts series, which features heroes scattered across the rural United States who find love where they’re least expecting it. In addition to explosive chemistry, you can expect sneezing bushes, tea that tastes like hay, and a wet wrestling match that's just boys having fun, Mom.

    It's not any kind of life for a child, and when Jerry finds out he’s been named his orphaned nephew’s guardian, he panics. He doesn't know what to do with a child and isn't sure he can give William the affection and the love the boy so desperately needs.Then Jerry meets David Loewenberger, the new teacher William becomes immediately attached to, and he starts to see how they could make a family together: a family to replace the one William lost, a family David had given up on ever finding... a family Jerry never knew he wanted.

    Then Prophet gets bored one night during an ice storm and insists on playing another simple game with Tom: Truth or Dare. In exchange for one of Prophet’s truths, Tom steals the couch one last time.But Prophet’s truths are never easy—Tom should know that by now—and this one raises questions neither of them quite know how to answer. In response, Tom finds himself laying claim to Prophet in the most basic way he knows how. And also finds that he doesn’t mind it in the least when Prophet returns the favor.

    He hopes to sell everything and use the money to start over in Canada, far away from his abusive ex-boyfriend. It’s a daunting task, and Cole has no idea where to start. Luckily for him, the local antique store owner, Jeremy Collins, volunteers his services in sorting the hoard. Their professional relationship soon evolves into a personal one, but Cole must overcome his past and his anxiety before he can accept a new man in his life or the possibility of a happy future.

    He awakes in a room he’s never seen before with a note from a mysterious stranger who seems to have come to his rescue.Before he can sneak out, he finds himself face to face with his gorgeous knight in shining armour. It turns out that Ryan saved him from more than just a bad hangover. In a day that feels like a dream, Luca and Ryan discover their attraction, but as a simple tailor and a club bouncer, they’re completely opposite. Could this really be true love?Rise and Shine is a 17K word steamy, standalone MM romance novella featuring a match-making Labrador, too much pizza, just the right amount of sofa snuggles, and a guaranteed HEA with absolutely no cliffhanger. Please note this story was previously released as a free giveaway. No content has been changed.

     As the Enforcer and Road Captain of the Grimm Reapers outlaw biker club, there’s very little Booker is afraid to confront. His grandaunt coming to town to visit him is one exception. When he turns to Zak, a newly patched member, for help, all he wants is to borrow Zach's home for the weekend. He never meant to book himself a boyfriend too in the process. As their forced proximity pushes them to explore the sexual tension between them, Will Booker be able to stay away from Zak? This is a prequel to the Grimm Reapers of Smoky Vale upcoming gay MC romance. Booker and Zak will have their own full novel, and this ends on a HFN note

     The holiday spirit has forsaken Simon Harris. A recent reminder of the man who used then left him sends lonely Simon on a glum visit to his club to while away a few hours. A breath of fresh air in the form of Christopher Andrews is about to enter his stale life. Performer of many talents and faces, Christopher gained entrée into the club to win money at cards. Unfortunately, he’s losing. But the evening needn’t be a complete disappointment as he strikes up a friendship with a gentleman which ends in a bedroom. Simon and Christopher enjoy a few hours of pleasure together, never expecting to see each other again, but Simon’s newfound resolution to change might just transform both their holidays. A short story, which includes a brief excerpt. Simon and Christopher's future will appear in our next short: Will and the Valentine Saint.

    In his own words, he's a white knight in search of a charming prince to save. In fact, he's doing a good deed by stepping into the breach for his long-time friends and landlords at Mountain Shadows when a voice on the phone sends him tumbling headfirst into love/lust/fascination. Four months later, a self-absorbed Dr. Cannon Malloy shows up in the flesh and has the poor grace to not remember their conversation. That could be because he's running from his past and too busy looking over his shoulder to appreciate what's right in front of him. A winter storm and circumstance conspire to bring them together, but it'll take more than a charming smile and a pure heart to bring this frog-prince in from the cold. The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends. The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth. Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

     What is that supposed to mean? Those are the words Lucas Daniels hears before stumbling through the brass doors of the elegant Club Dyavol, a club that seems to appear out of nowhere. The club is his last hope of getting a job to escape his predatory stepfather’s home. Who would dare enter a vampire’s sanctuary uninvited? Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk may be weakened by a curse, but he is still a primal predator. And when he sees a young man venture into his club, bypassing all of his magical and physical protections, more than just his curiosity is aroused. Is there more to this meeting than simple chance? NOTE: THIS NOVELLA SERIES HAS CLIFFHANGERS! EVERY BOOK WILL END ON ONE. THAT'S MY NATURAL WRITING STYLE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE CLIFFHANGERS, WAIT UNTIL THE WHOLE SERIES IS PUBLISHED TO READ. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! X. Aratare writes gay paranormal romance with witches, vampires, magic, and mystery. Though some books may venture into dark territory, they will all have happy endings.