The coffee's good, but it's not the rich flavor that lures him to drive blocks out of his way each morning, and it's not an addiction to caffeine either. He's half-embarrassed to admit it, but it's the man who keeps him coming back. The long-legged, painted-on-jeans-wearing, dark-haired, edgy sex god with the teasing eyes. He's everything Riley--who has a history of geekdom and being flustered around hot men--is not. Riley knows he should put a stop to the daily forays because nothing can ever come of it. Guys like that aren't interested in men like him. Yet every time the hunk meets his gaze across the crowded shop and aims a sizzling grin at him, Riley gives in and comes back to participate in the silent, sexy flirtation another day. Needless to say, the last thing he's expecting when he goes to question a witness about a murder at a local gay strip joint is to discover the witness is his coffeehouse hottie. Dane Scott works as a stripper strictly for fun. He doesn't need the money--he's got plenty in the bank from his other career. He just likes to have something to keep him busy a few nights a week. When one of his fellow dancers turns up murdered outside the strip club, the police detective who shows up on Dane's doorstep asking questions is none other than the sexy, blond cutie he's been flirting with at the coffeehouse for weeks. Riley Ellison's a fascinating contradiction--rugged, strong, serious-eyed hero and bashful boy next door. A combination Dane finds all too appealing and a refreshing change from the selfish, shallow men he's known and dated in the past. From the moment Riley flashes his badge, Dane's determined to show the skittish cop they can make magic together. The heat between them quickly soars to the boiling point and not even a murder investigation can cool the passion they share. That is, until new information on Riley's case implies Dane may not be all he seems... Genres: Gay / Contemporary

    After all, his family can’t be the only one who seasons their get-togethers with fighting, judgment, and guilt. Eric—his coworker and secret crush—has tried to convince him not to go for another round of family drama this year, but to no avail. It’s Christmas. Steve can’t just not go home. But when Eric tells a little white lie, Steve’s Christmases may never be the same again. This holiday short story is 8,500 words.

    With his parents on a cruise and his brother and sister out of town, he's on his own. His mother insists he escape to her friend's mountain cabin. Eli reluctantly agrees, but he takes off unprepared and ends up driving into the worst snowstorm the area has seen in years.He survives the trip, but he's stuck with no logs for the wood stove and little food. Fortunately, he gets the number for Mac's Wood Delivery. Mac doesn't mind riding to the rescue, and his deep, sultry voice has Eli eagerly anticipating the delivery. Is Mac the little bit of Christmas cheer Eli has been needing?

    Now that mistake is coming back to haunt him. His family’s beloved vineyard has gone into foreclosure, and the new owner is the sister of the only man he’s ever loved—the man he dumped under pressure from family and friends who thought the match was beneath him.When Freddy Wentworth, aka the bad boy of Bishop’s Glen, left town with a broken heart, he vowed never to return. But a recently widowed friend needs his help, so here he is. He’s a rich and famous celebrity chef now, though, so everyone can just eff right off.But some things are easier said than done. Despite their attempts to resist each other, old love rekindles—and old wounds reopen. If they want to make things work the second time around, they’ll have to learn to set aside their pride—and prejudice.This modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is a standalone novel that can be enjoyed by Austen-philes and by those allergic to the nineteenth century.

    Every summer my only form of entertainment is to ogle Miles Winters and count ceiling tiles while I mark off days on the calendar until school starts again. The last thing I expected during my last summer before college was to somehow fall in with the cool kids. Actually, the last thing I expected was for Miles to suddenly notice me. It doesn’t make any sense the way he’s looking at me and coming around to hang out every day. I don’t understand it, but I have the feeling this just might turn out to be the best summer of my life. **This is a short (~10k words), low angst, YA romance.

    He’s met— and had— many a man. None of whom he’d want to share five hundred kisses with. If you don’t like someone, you just don’t like them. End of story. No amount of kissing will change that. Dylan Halsworth doesn’t believe it either. But Chris and his arrogant, always right, dare I be wrong attitude has Dylan challenging him to try it. And who knows, maybe watching his most loathed neighbor suffer through five hundred kisses with the same man is worth it. He’d sit back, crack open a Mountain Dew, and have a good laugh . . . But . . . shit . . . there is one slight snag in his plan. Chris has chosen Dylan with whom to prove his point . . . * * * This story was originally written as part of the Goodreads “Love’s Landscapes” anthology, 2014. This second edition has new scenes, scene expansions, scene alterations, a revised ending, reformatting, and--thanks, Natasha!--a new cover. Big thanks to all those involved in both its original and second edition developments.

    Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness. Joshua has had enough of people. Especially those desperate, starving bastards who he’s certain ate his dog. When people decide to leave the university town of Lincoln, Nebraska and head south before winter sets in, Joshua heads north instead. When he lands face-first in a snowbank, he welcomes death. What he finds instead is the handsome smile of Chris, a lone goat farmer who’s trying to make the best of life without power. About the Heart's Compass series: Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise. Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.

     I found my soulmate back in high school, when my next door neighbor wrote me a love note that changed my life -- a love note that promised me "always." But apparently "always" ain't all it's cracked up to be, because here I am, a mere eight years later, planning my soulmate's dream wedding -- the most romantic Valentine's Day wedding in O'Leary's history. The only problem? He's not marrying me. NOTE: This is a 20K SHORT STORY that was first available as part of a promotional giveaway. No new content has been added.

    You’re Invited Aidan “Irish” TalleyandJameson “Whiskey” Walkertogether with their family and friendsrequest the honor of your presenceat their weddingSaturday, the Seventeenth of MarchTwo Thousand and Eighteenat High NoonHalf Moon Bay, California

    When life’s circumstances further confirm his belief, Garrett is forced to consider that perhaps the silly “romantic notions” he’s always heard and brushed off have some value. After all, he’s in love with his best friend, Liam Johnson, and Garrett would do almost anything for him.Liam Johnson, on the other hand, is anything but a farm-boy. He’s got big dreams and the drive to make them all come true. He also has a reason to stay in his small town and settle for a local college. But Garrett’s not about to be the reason that Liam doesn’t achieve all his dreams. For once in his life, he decides to listen to those romantic notions— let Liam go and hope for the best.But as Garrett finds out, life isn’t anything like a romance novel, and sometimes you have to make things happen.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" 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.