Two years after a terrifying night of pain destroyed his normal teenage existence, Aaron Downing still clings to the hope that one day, he will be a fully functional human being. But his life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear. When, in his very first semester of college, he’s assigned Spencer Thomas as a partner for his programming project, Aaron decides that maybe “normal” is overrated. If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough for him to find his footing again. With his parents’ talk of institutionalizing him—of sacrificing him for the sake of his brothers’ stability—Aaron becomes desperate to find a way to cope with his psychological damage or even fake normalcy. Can his new shrink control his own demons long enough to treat Aaron, or will he only deepen the damage? Desperate to understand his attraction for Spencer, Aaron holds on to his sanity with both hands as it threatens to spin out of control.

    Nearly four years later, and now calling himself Trick, he’s still struggling to survive. While huddled in a doorway on a cold rainy morning, he thanks his lucky stars when an expensive Mercedes pulls up and rolls down a window.Phoenix, known as Master P, may be a big intimidating Dom, but he has a soft spot for vulnerable young men. When he sees a homeless kid trembling in the cold, he has to stop and pick him up. What he finds is a boy with a naturally submissive nature and a damaged soul. As he begins to train the boy at the online BDSM club where he’s employed, DOMZ.com, they form a fast and explosive combination.When Trick begins to fall for his big Dom, Phoenix is forced to tell him that this is only play. The resulting fallout will shake Phoenix to his very core. Is this chance encounter doomed for failure or can the two men find a balance?

    Shane gives Angel the sex he craves, but struggles to be the man he needs.Shane’s too old for Angel. Even if Angel weren’t a freshman in Shane’s Intro to Film class, the kid would be too closeted, too confused, too darn changeable and needy. But when Shane sees the pain lurking behind Angel’s tough exterior, he can’t help but reach out to him and give in to the desire in those scared, brown eyes.Pacific Rim University may as well be another planet from the Oakland neighborhood where Angel grew up. Angel’s fought all his life to get respect, and to stay hard in the eyes of his friends back home. Always the weird kid, Angel was the guy who never hooked up with girls. Meeting his very sexy, very male Film TA, Angel starts to understand why. He refuses to admit he’s gay, but he lives for every one of Shane’s smiles.When Shane takes Angel to task for his insolent attitude, Angel can’t resist pushing his TA further. He wants Shane to show him, force him, make him accept all the feelings battling around in his mind and his body. But Angel doesn’t just need sex. He needs a man who can help him navigate the new and very raw landscape of his feelings.

    They're close enough that Damian dares a shocking e-mail confession: he's bisexual and wants to experiment with men. With Alex.It's supposed to be a simple friends-with-benefits arrangement, one weekend only. Then one weekend turns into two, then three, then a whole season of unexpected passion. But life after graduation can't be ignored; soon Damian will be obliged to return to his family's orange groves, and Alex will fly off to his dream job in Europe.Unless they can admit their feelings to each other and the world, their time as best friends may be over.

    Luck finally turns his way when he finds work as a cook on a Montana ranch, where he meets terrifyingly handsome Logan Michaels. Logan is different from any man Kaden’s ever met, and before long, he finds himself falling in love with the big cowboy. But Kaden’s nightmares won’t let go of him so easily, and he’s not just jumping at shadows. He has nearly a lifetime of abuse, horrifying memories, and pain addiction to overcome. Can Logan's gentle touch help Kaden heal inside?

    Tall, broad, and gorgeous, Robert pushes all his buttons. When Robert asks Max to show him around town, the attraction between them only intensifies. But Max is just a night porter and Robert a guest at his hotel before his wedding, and Max knows even as they sleep together that in the morning he'll have to send the groom on his way.

    Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop, makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure he can do it again.Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working toward a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own...if only the man will let him close enough to mend what's broken.An Avon Romance

    When he agrees to do the desserts for a sci-fi convention his brother is putting on, Ethan gets a chance to realise his biggest fantasy.One of the panelists is Callum MacLaughlin, a man Ethan’s been lusting after since they’d met four years ago. Ethan discovers Callum will be there, and he decides it’s time to make his move on the astrophysicist.With the help of some special cupcakes, Ethan makes not only his dream come true, but the hopes of his brother and his best friend as well.Reader Advisory: This story has been previously released as part of the Unconventional At Best anthology by Total-E-Bound

    It doesn’t include being the first out hockey player or, worse, getting involved with one of his teammates. But things change.Dante Baltierra is Gabe’s polar opposite—careless, reckless… shameless. But his dedication to the sport is impressive, and Gabe can overlook a lot of young-and-stupid in the name of great hockey. And Dante has a superlative ass in a sport filled with superlative asses.Before Gabe can figure out how to deal, a tabloid throws him out of his comfortable closet into a brand-new world. Amid the emotional turmoil of invasive questions, nasty speculation, and on- and off-ice homophobia, his game suffers. Surprisingly, it’s Dante who drags him out of it—and then drags him into something else. Nothing good can come of secretly sleeping with a teammate, especially one Gabe has feelings for. But with their captain out with an injury, a rookie in perpetual need of a hug, and the race to make the playoffs for the first time since 1995, Gabe has a lot on his plate. He can’t be blamed for forgetting that nothing stays secret forever.

    It happened. But even he couldn't predict that he'd be going from Seattle to their biggest rival, the Sioux Falls Martens. It didn't keep him from happily packing his bags and moved to a team that, hopefully, wanted him there.With plans to keep his head down and to prove to the Marten's organization and his new teammates that he was a worthwhile trade, Henny thought he was ready.Until he met Matt.Matt Doherty, the captain of the Martens, had Henny throwing any plans he'd made out the window. Their chemistry was instantaneous, on the ice and off it. Getting his mind off the captain and on the game was near impossible. There was something about how Matt treated Henny that made it too easy for him to think there could be something more than friendship between them.As the season progresses, the temptation becomes harder to resist. For the first time, Henny started to think that he could have both hockey, and love.

    Whether intended or not, that’s exactly what he’s become—ever since innocently attempting to deflect the attention away from another teammate during the playoffs. One little admission, and now his private life is making headlines.Luke Weber would love the chance to bask in Cole’s limelight. After all, he’s never had the pro hockey career he envisioned. If he’d stayed in the closet, maybe that spotlight would have been his. He’ll never know the truth, now that the doors to his dream career have been slammed shut.With everything out in the open, there’s no denying the attraction they feel for each other. Cole and Luke want to move forward—together. But to do so, they’ll each have to let go of the lives they’d imagined for themselves. Can two strong men relinquish the fantasies of their futures to make their real dreams come true?

    His finance job in the Atlanta nonprofit scene stresses him out, his mother is dying, and his relationship with Brian Jacobs has crashed and burned. He needs a distraction, some way to relax, and a massage seems like just the thing. He never expected his massage therapist, Antonio Roberto, to become his best friend.Despite their differences—Antonio is a divorced single father—the two men forge a firm friendship that weathers Mark’s reconciliation with Brian and Antonio’s questionable taste in women. Over the years, Antonio remains constant in his support, though others in Mark’s life come and go through a revolving door.When a young boy runs away from the group home where he works, Mark finds another door opening. Through it all he holds on to the things his loved ones taught him—about family, about friends and lovers, about life and death. Most importantly, he realizes that sometimes the greatest gift of all is a second chance.

    Will the tale—and the storyteller—be enough to win the Sultan’s approbation at last? A Fairy in His Bed – Corinna Silver & Aundrea SingerWhen Daniel Tibbits, recently single, unhappy, and in the grip of terminal writer’s block, inherits a teapot from his great aunt, the last thing he expects is for it to contain a fairy named Quinn. After Daniel saves Quinn’s life, Quinn grants him a wish and stays with him as Daniel decides exactly what that wish will be. The problem is that despite Quinn’s best efforts, Daniel doesn’t believe in fairy tales or happy endings. Kissing the Dragon – Heidi CullinanBao Fischer, born Korean but raised in middle America, can only see his “heritage” as an excuse for people to treat him differently and wants to leave it behind. So why is he dreaming of a dragon every night? The day his dreams start to overlap into the real lives of his overbearing boss and the hot barista at the office coffee stand, Bao needs to figure out what the dragon is trying to tell him before it’s too late to set things right. Something Pipeth Like a Bird – David CheaterBored with tending sheep, young Judean shepherd boy Yosef follows the music coming from a nearby ruin, never expecting to encounter a Djinn. But Masul is nothing like the demons described in Scripture… and Masul finds himself surprised by the Human as well.Greenleaf’s Blessing – M. KingRhynn, orphaned as a child and apprenticed to his village’s Herb Mage, is a man whose trade—a potent mix of herbalism and magic—creates distrust even among those who ask for aid. After an unexpected encounter drives away the one person Rhynn considered a friend, he flees into the old forest… only to meet the wood’s guardian spirit, who awakens the dormant power within him.On Wild Wings – Connie BaileyChuneh is a dragon rider, partnered on border patrol with She Who Is Sister to the Sun. Though older, wiser, and mightier than mankind, even the she-dragon cannot explain how a young male has reached Ascension without being sensed by any other dragons. Sadorey is not a typical dragon, as Chuneh is about to learn—to his cost and his delight.The Sower and the Reaper – Helen MaddenHosa, from the Red Sky clan, came looking for a God when a meteor storm wiped out his tribe’s crops. Ozzie doesn’t look like any God Hosa has ever heard of, but the only chance to redeem himself and save his tribe from starvation will be if Hosa can convince Ozzie to perform a miracle.The One – Ariel TachnaTrapped in human form when an injury prevents him from shifting, Rylan is befriended by Thorin, a man with a dangerous secret. Rylan has a secret of his own—in his other form, as a unicorn, he’s as hunted as Thorin. While Rylan knows he should leave before Thorin discovers the truth, Thorin has an allure that’s almost impossible for Rylan to resist.Of Genies and Sea Monsters – Scarlet BlackwellA buyer and seller of gems, Ephram leaves to seek his fortune, only to find riches a poor substitute for his lover, Eber. Desperate to return home despite the sea monster that blocks the way, Ephram enlists the help of a boisterous genie, a mysterious magician, and even his landlord. Only by completing a series of seemingly impossible tasks will Ephram have any chance of being reunited with the man he loves.The Wild Hunt – Cari Z.David Evans was five years old when he first witnessed the wild hunt on Halloween night. Fascinated by its magnificent leader, David returns to the same spot year after year, hoping to prove worthy to be chosen by the hunter. But can a mortal ride with the Tylwyth Teg and survive?The Light of Foreign Places – Rodello Santos & Damon ShawJai is a seducer, winning converts for the Snake Goddess, Striyn. At the holy carnival outside the desert city of Ramsha’hla, Jai meets Duphal, one of the few city dwellers to respond to the carnival’s attractions. Duphal is attracted to Jai, too, even though in his culture, to act on that attraction is punishable by death….Night and Day – Rowan SpeedwellNate Pederowski is about as far down as he can go when he’s tipped to a job as a singer in a speakeasy. A veteran of WWI dishonorably discharged for being “queer,” Nate is embittered and lonely. The club’s handsome owner, Rick Bellevue, is wowed by Nate’s voice and offers him the job, and Nate’s life is about to change in ways he can scarcely imagine, let alone believe.The Flower Boy – Belinda McBrideStarving student Philip Yeoh can barely make ends meet while he attends art school in San Francisco. With his rent coming due, he spends the last of his money on flowers to sell on a busy street corner—a plan that seems to be a failure until an odd, androgynous young man approaches him, also selling flowers. Since Lan looks even more destitute than Philip, the young student buys a handful of flowers from the stranger. Within minutes, Philip’s luck changes, but when he offers to buy the rest of the stranger's flowers, Lan will only accept a kiss in payment—a kiss that literally transports Philip to another world.

    He’s used to getting what he wants from girls, but when he develops a fascination for a man, his wooing skills require an upgrade. After months of persuasion, he scores a dinner date with Henry Normand that morphs into an intense weekend. The unexpected depth of their connection scares Ruben into fleeing.Shy, cautious Henry, Ruben’s former high school history teacher, suspects he needs a wake-up call, and Ruben appears to be his siren. But when Ruben bolts, Henry is left struggling to find closure. Inspired by his conversations with Ruben, Henry begins to write articles about the memories stored in everyday objects. The articles seduce Ruben, even as Henry’s snowballing fame takes him out of town and farther out of reach.Everyday History, a romance told with Alice Archer’s unique style and lush prose, was named a Top Book of 2016 in the HEA USA Today column Rainbow Trends>. Standalone romance. HEA.

    Not only have I lost my right foot, but I have also lost my wife. Both at the hands of terrorists. Recurrent nightmares, a dead end job, and a painful limp are all I have left. Not much of a reason to wake up in the morning if you ask me. I’m struggling to carry on in this very lonely excuse of a life. The only reason I’m still swimming is because I have my best friend, Tucker, and my sister, Lizette, keeping me afloat. Tucker has been my saving grace. I would not be here if it weren’t for him…literally. We have become practically inseparable since moving in together. And then, out of nowhere, there are these feelings and emotions. The kind that I haven’t felt in years; not since I lost the love of my life. The kind that I’m not sure I can handle, or even want to. But they have started wrapping around my broken and shattered heart, trying to mend it - whether I’m ready for it or not. Only they are not for a woman as you would expect, but for the man suddenly sharing my bed. Am I ready to give love another go? I’m not so sure that I have it in me. But then again, I’m tired of being at war.*Warning: For mature audiences only. Contains some sensitive situations and graphic m/m sex scenes. Please remember that this is a work of fiction and comes from my own imagination.