My friends and I went out to celebrate, and I must have overdone it because my memories are a little fuzzy. I know I met a guy, and evidence indicates we had a really good time.Why am I in bed with this friendly dog, and why did my friend just text me asking how Mr. Wonderful is this morning?I want this to be the start of something wonderful, after all that I have gone through and all I have achieved; I would really like a man to share it all with.Photo Description: A tattooed and pierced young man with a shaven head is asleep in a floral bed, cuddling a white bull terrier.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.

    One of the publisher's boxes goes missing, and when he finds it, the box is wrapped up in union red tape. Then he gets into a nasty debate with Toni, a hunk Jacob would rather stare at than argue with.Maybe his first day at the book fair couldn’t get worse, but it certainly gets weirder when, after an hour-long snarling match, Toni offers Jacob a ride to his hotel. Jacob accepts, but his day does not improve—the ride is nothing but awkward silence.Over the rest of the week, Jacob’s life disintegrates, and Toni’s repeated offers to drive him to his hotel become bright spots. Silence turns to civility turns to friendship, and though Jacob hopes for more, work keeps the two of them from spending much time together. Finally Jacob is free of obligations—but suddenly he can't find Toni anywhere, and Jacob’s time in New York is coming to a close.

    Cameron Sherwood turned his back on law enforcement the night his investigation led to the death of an innocent gay man. Now Cam spends his time running a business that caters to his favorite animal, cats. But when Cam stumbles upon the body of a friend while feeding her feline, he can’t walk away. Dealing with a sexy yet stubborn sheriff, a matchmaking sister, and a terrifying blind date, Cam must somehow track down a killer, all while keeping the cats around him fed with his gourmet cat treats.

    After Clay’s convoy was ambushed, PTSD changed him, and their relationship ended in a horrible fight on Christmas Eve.Twenty-five years later, they’ve reconnected on Facebook, and Clay finds out Daniel will be alone on Christmas Eve. Impulsively, he sets out for Daniel’s hometown of Gilead, Ohio—where Daniel is now the mayor—to surprise him with a visit. But a blizzard strikes and Clay wrecks his car. All hope of seeing Daniel is lost—until a mysterious old man named Nick offers Clay a ride. The weight of past wounds and the scars of war might make their reunion awkward, but Clay is willing to take the risk to win back his lost love. Despite a lifetime of disappointing holidays, Clay hopes that this soldier is finally coming home for Christmas.

    Stetson is a rancher, tied to the land he loves in Taos, New Mexico, while Curtis is a rodeo cowboy whose wanderlust never could be tamed. But now Stetson’s momma is dying of Alzheimer’s, and she can't remember that Curtis hasn't been Stetson's boyfriend for a long time. Curtis's absence makes her cry, so Stetson swallows his pride and calls his ex-lover. To Curtis, Stetson is the one who got away, the love of his life. And Momma is his friend, so he’s happy to help out. Yet returning to the ranch stirs up all sorts of feelings that, while buried, never really went away. Still, the rodeo nationals are coming up, and Curtis can’t stay—even if he’s starting to want to, especially to support Stetson when he needs it most. Stetson and Curtis want to find a place where they both fit, to be there to catch each other when they fall. But family, money problems, and the call of the rodeo circuit might end their second-chance romance before it even gets started.

    A tall, dark stranger may provide the solution - but maybe the complications are more than he can handle. "A Fluffy Tale" will appeal to lovers of m/m mromance and small cute ferret-shaped mammals alike.

    Luckily, the generosity of the veterinarian who helps him means he doesn't have to open his wallet. Thom's budget is stretched pretty thin, between his struggling start-up and medical expenses for his Crohn's disease, so the free cat care helps a lot. Thom may have fallen for the little feline, but he's also intrigued by the attractive vet in the bi-pride bracelet.Dean Edwards went to Pride with his colors on his wrist, hoping to find community after his divorce. Instead, he's pulled into a cat rescue by an appealing man. Dean likes Thom's kindness to strays, his blue-gray eyes, his intelligence, and his perspective from decades as an out gay man. Maybe with Thom, Dean will finally feel able to explore his long-neglected attraction to men.They're not a perfect match. From Dean's cat-hating dog to Thom's chronic health issues and preferences in bed, going from a casual date to something more will be a challenge for both of them.

    No matter how the encounter begins, by the end of each story, with a little help from their finned, furred, or feathered friends, our heroes have discovered some animal magnetism of their own.Stories included are:A Few Too Many by Heidi ChampaHaving a Ball by Cari Z.Along Came Spiders by Matthew VandrewCuddling Up by Chris T. KatNew Tides by Avery VanderlyleCare and Rehabilitation by Kim FieldingButterbean and the Pretty Princess Make a Home by R. CooperJonno by Emily GouldOn an Eagle's Wings by A.J. MarcusWhy Did the Chicken Cross the Road? by Skylar JayeTears for a Broken Sun by Minerva WistingStripped Bare by Lily VeldenWild Horses by Kate PavelleShow and Tell by Liz MakarThe Conch Republic by G.S. Wiley

    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.

    Avery is quick to forgive the fact that Dylan's arrival brings with it a series of unfortunate events hairy enough to keep the most optimistic person down, and he sets about trying to get into Dylan's pants. But love isn't so easy to catch, and Avery will have to face Dylan's past and his own aversion to elevators on his way to happiness.

    She neglects to mention that it’s occupied by the enigmatic and sexy Finn Murphy, a cemetery tour guide with a penchant for Victorian attire and a Cajun accent. A body discovered in an open crypt forces reclusive Drew to deal with Finn’s eccentric group of friends and his underlying attraction to the hot Cajun—despite warnings about Finn’s violent past. Drew might write this stuff, but he’s never had to solve a real-life murder. With a deadline looming and a killer on the loose, this retreat is proving to be anything but helpful for Drew’s novel. Drew can only hope he won’t end up a tragic tale for the Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc. haunted tour. States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

    The only thing missing is a boyfriend — but Ryan’s been burned by Hollywood relationships before, and he’s not eager to try one again. Jason Santos has almost everything he's ever wanted: a fulfilling career teaching middle school, a house in a city he loves, and parents who support him in every way. Too bad he can't seem to forget the ex-boyfriend who rejected his marriage proposal.When a talk show host launches a dating contest to find Ryan a boyfriend and Jason accidentally wins, neither of them expect anything to come from it. Yet somewhere between a disastrous massage and a mud sinkhole, they both start to wonder if this date could be more than just a public relations stunt. But before they can move into the future, they'll both have to learn to let go of the past.

    He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends.”Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at seventeen. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hayden knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.Cover Artist: Jennifer Vance

    So when he sees Austin Brody at a local pool, diving like a trained athlete, he thinks he's found his ticket back to the big leagues. Austin is the least likely man to go to diving meets. He dives for beer, smokes, and works double shifts as a welder. He thinks Vince might be a little crazy, wanting him to try diving competitively, but he's willing to give it a shot. What Austin isn't willing to do is let Vince rule him, and he argues about everything from waxing to wearing Speedos. Used to young, up-and-coming athletes who fold under pressure from their coach, Vince finds Austin's independence baffling; and hot. The two find common ground, gradually working toward being more than just friends, but can they compete? The world of a professional athlete takes money, time, and hard work. Austin and Vince are both willing to fight for what they want, but will they be able to work their way up the ladder to the kind of elite competition it will take to get Austin noticed?

    That may not sound so exciting, but there’s more; he also always flirts with me, talks to me and makes me feel like a million bucks. The problem? He’s in his mid-twenties, which is a baby compared to my forty-five years. The first time he winked at and flirted with me, I thought he was making fun of me. I may have cussed him out. Okay, I did. But just a little. But, to my surprise, he just laughed and told me I was cute when I was grumpy. I should have run away and never came back to this place. But I can’t stay away. As if the age gap between us isn’t reason enough to keep my distance, we are also complete opposites. Noah is young and free-spirited, kind and funny. I’m, as I said, an asshole. Actually, I’m a cranky, foul-mouthed motherfucker, but for some reason, Noah seems to enjoy our conversations. Our looks couldn’t be more different either. Noah is...hell, Noah’s hot. He’s tall and thin with dirty-blond hair and blue eyes. He smiles so big his cheeks dimple up, and he lights up the room. His physical appearance and personality are both like a ray of fucking sunshine. And then there’s me. I’m gray-haired, gray-eyed, thickset, and I have crows feet and a bad back. Yeah...totally not hot. I can’t for the life of me figure out why Noah seems interested. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back; to try to solve the puzzle. Maybe he’s mental. He seems so perfect, but maybe he’s actually a fucking basket case. It would explain his attraction to me. When Noah basically forces me into a date, he flips my entire world upside down. But things can’t be that easy; I’ve got secrets, physical and emotional pain, and enough baggage to fill an airplane. I’ve got to keep my distance because this could never work. Noah - I’m becoming obsessed with a hunky older man. For a month now I’ve been flirting and dropping hints that I like him. Though we talk often, he always shrugs off my advances. Maybe it’s a little sneaky to basically trick him into a date, but I’m just so attracted to the man, I can’t help myself! With his sexy gray hair and eyes and his cranky attitude, he’s like my own personal little storm cloud. Every time he scowls at me or his scruffy cheeks fold up into an unimpressed smirk, I like him a little more. He’s so unlike anyone I’ve ever known, let alone dated, and I can’t get enough. I know there’s more to him than he likes to portray, though. Sure he’s grumpy, but I don’t miss the way his lips twitch when I tease him, or his eyes sparkle when I tell him he’s handsome. Each day I pull a little bit of information out about himself, but I’m hungry for more. I know there’s a big, beautiful personality behind his tough exterior, and I want to be the one who releases it. If he just lets me in, I know this could work. *This M/M romance is for readers 18 and up! It contains an age gap between a sexy storm cloud and his ray of sunshine. Be on the lookout for country music, sweet moments and lots of dirty talk. This book has no cheating or cliffhangers, and a very happy HEA. My books tend to be low angst because it hurts my heart. I like to get to the good stuff and live for sweetness! If ‘instalove’ isn’t your thing, this title may not be for you.