The woman across the restaurant counter has flint-gray eyes, chiseled planes for cheeks, and dark hair cut like a boy’s. A key is tattooed on her forearm. The energy between them is the same every time, electric and undeniable. Painful. But there’s nothing to be done about it. A delicate gold cross hangs heavy around her neck, an ever-present reminder of her husband’s edicts on what constitutes sin. A reminder of her obligation to purity, obedience, and conformity. A reminder that she must always follow the rules. But, today she will defy life’s rules. Today, a gray-eyed angel will unlock the door to all the things she hides from herself, to a world she’s always seen as inaccessible—forbidden. Today, she will discover paradise.

    When the only romance in her life consists of Hallmark movie marathons, she’s pretty sure things could not get more discouraging. When a knock sounds at the door, Holly suddenly finds herself face-to-face with a stranger. A hot, handsome butch named Nic. When the chemistry sparks between them, Holly is faced with a tantalizing new dilemma – will she be naughty or nice? Need a little something to warm you up for a spell on a cold winter’s night? This steamy short story is exactly what you need. *** Includes a preview of KC Luck’s full-length novel “Welcome to Ruby’s” ***

    At least that’s how the hyper-private Quinn Kincaid sees it. When her publicist suggests a good old-fashioned sham of a Hollywood relationship, Quinn reluctantly agrees. And that’s how the star of Jordan’s Appeal, TV’s highest rated legal drama, ends up with a fake girlfriend – the very real, very sexy and very gay soap star, Lacey Matthews. In Casting Lacey, Elle Spencer gives us a hilarious new take on a classic storyline, complete with nosy mothers, fawning assistants and two beautiful actresses who might learn about true love. If they don’t kill each other first. 110,000 words

    After Janet accidentally stumbles upon Wendy’s email about a sex dream she’s been having, she decides to see if the reality can live up to the fantasy. But when the relationship starts to be more than a kinky office romance, the two have to decide if they can make it as a couple or if they were better off as boss and employee.72,000 wordsThemes: kinky office affair · lesbian · romcom

    On a trip to New York she sees the artwork of artist Kris Milano, whose talent is not the only thing she's attracted to. Undercover of email, she begins a correspondence with the artist . When she comes to New York for filming and finally meets her, will she tell Kris the truth ... all of it?Themes: Romance, lesbian. Length: approx. 195,000 words

    She's a very successful real estate agent, happily married to a man who encourages her to live the independent life she loves; and they're actively working to have a baby.The wrench in the works is that Blair favors adoption, while her husband David desperately wants to have a biological child. The fates are against them, and they finally seek the help of a group of reproductive specialists. One of the doctors, a surgeon named Kylie Mackenzie, eventually becomes a good friend to Blair. And she needs all of the friends she can get when things start to go horribly wrong at home. As her marriage teeters on the brink of collapse, she relies more and more on Kylie's friendship.Kylie's happily gay; Blair's happily straight. But the way they structure their relationship leads friends and family to privately question whether the pair is setting themselves up for heartache. They eventually come to a crossroads, which could either destroy their friendship or turn it into what each of them has been seeking. The question is whether each woman can change her view of herself and her needs. The answer is all that matters.

     Laurie Holcombe is out of a job, out of luck, and out of time. When a prestigious law firm hires her as an assistant to one of its senior partners, it feels like she might finally get back on her feet. All she has to do is put up with the whims of her infuriatingly icy boss, Diana. How hard could that be? Diana Parker is Atlanta’s top lawyer and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it. She’s driven, ruthless, demanding, and stuck in a failing marriage. Too bad she can’t run her personal life as well as she runs her ordered office. When a young assistant shows up with bright blue eyes, a cute Southern accent, and a streak of pink hair, Diana’s sure she’s all wrong for the job. And yet something seems to be pulling her and Laurie Holcombe together, drawing them into a secret, thrilling dance that’s far too dangerous for a boss and employee. Can they make rules for this powerful attraction, a way to keep each other at arm’s length? But how do you resist the irresistible?

    Upon the distant shore prowls an ancient sea god kept captive by a generations-old spell, a spell that Meriel alone must protect.Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.

    For others the emotions run high, and one night of sex can change their lives in ways they couldn’t have imagined. For Lou, her weekly visits to The Club enable her to set aside her shyness and loneliness and feel intimacy, however briefly. For Kath, caring for her mother at home, The Club is a welcome relief from her everyday toil; while Max needs distraction from her troubled relationship, even as she tries to tell herself she isn’t really cheating. Tania and Jacky find an outlet for a tricky block in their sex life. Cassie and Nina, bar staff at The Club, find themselves staying on after hours. And finally, Stephanie, struggling with her sexuality, finds her life changing in so many ways once she plucks up courage to enter.The lives of these women intersect in ways they don’t realize, and watching over them all is Mandy— the owner, whose own ghosts play a pivotal role in the existence of The Club.Themes: lesbian

    The only thing she does know is that she doesn't like the newcomer. April Hawkins is determined to make her new job work. Left as the sole provider for her niece, she just wants to keep her head down and collect her paycheck. That proves to be difficult when one of her bosses seems to hate her and the other seems to like her a little too much. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the one she's attracted to seems bent on making her job as excruciatingly unpleasant as possible. When Vivian and April's personalities collide, they find their passionate dislike has an unforeseen bonus—a scintillating, consuming chemistry in the bedroom.62,700 words

    This time...it's worse.Ice begins when a boy is kidnapped from a London park and Detective Inspectors Alex Blake and Maggie Campbell are brought together to work on the case. While their goal is the same, their work ethics are not. Intelligent, perceptive and at times disobedient, Alex Blake does what she believes it takes to do her job. Maggie Campbell has a slightly different approach. She believes that rule books were written for a reason. Unexpectedly, their dynamics mesh, but when her feelings for Alex become stronger than she wants to admit, Maggie provokes the worst in Alex to ensure that they will never be partners again. Three years later, fate brings them together again. Their assignment is simple, but a plane crash gets in their way. Now, in the middle of a blizzard, they have to try to survive...and fight the feelings that refuse to die.

    Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around.Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company. The pressure builds as she knows she must pour everything she has into opening night and prove to her rivals and herself that Victoria’s faith in her is not misplaced.In the process, Anna discovers that she and the daring, beautiful Victoria have a lot more than a talent for ballet in common, and that not every thrilling dance can be found on stage.Themes: elite ballet company · romance120,000 words

    At a time when she is unsure about all things romantic, she encounters 5th grade teacher Regina Baker at yoga class, a free-spirited single mom who is beautiful, playful, and impossibly intriguing. What starts as friendship turns sharply toward something more as they learn they each share a love for very dark and unconventional sensual expression. Despite significant differences in lifestyle, each woman is desperate to get close to the other to explore the depths of devotion.Shocked, yet thrilled by the intense level of Regina’s erotic desire, Meg turns apprehensive. She had never been with a woman— never had to be in society with a woman, never had to wonder what labels may be placed upon her relationship, never considered herself anything but obsessed with men. Regina, also enchanted by a woman for the first time, finds freedom from the pressures of daily life by committing herself to Meg. Compelled by the need for a balance between worlds, the two embark on a daring, passionately physical role-playing game. Welcoming Regina’s darkest needs, Meg explores her own deep-seated desires that have been locked away in the shadows her whole life.Erotic, amusing, and profoundly romantic, Owning Regina is a tale that will awaken you, possess you, and transport you to an alternate universe that steams with passion and danger.This book, featuring elements of BDSM, is intended for mature audiences.The Author:Lorelei Elstrom is an office executive and blossoming writer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. She never considered a career in writing until coming upon the idea of working in a fictionalized diary format, which provides absolute freedom to truly express one’s most private thoughts in the first person. Discovering this format helped her gain the courage to pick up the pen to write her first novel, Owning Regina.

    Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds go by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals and becomes fast friends with Maddie Stevenson, the enigmatic physician who has returned to the backcountry community to take over her late father’s medical practice.Ann McMan weaves a story of life and love in the beautiful mountains of Virginia.

    in love.Cambridge art professor Larry Morton takes one, alcohol-glazed look at the huge, tattooed man looming in a dark alley, and assumes he’s done for. Moments later he finds himself disarmed—literally and figuratively. And, the next morning, he can’t rest until he offers an apology to the man who turned out to be more gentle than giant. Larry's intrigued to find there's more to Al Fletcher than meets the eye; he possesses a natural artistic talent that shines through untutored technique. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see the sensitive soul beneath Al’s imposing, scarred, undeniably sexy exterior. Least of all Larry's class-conscious family, who would like nothing better than to split up this mismatched pair. Is it physical? Oh, yes, it’s deliciously physical, and so much more—which makes Larry’s next task so daunting. Not just convincing his colleagues, friends and family that their relationship is more than skin deep. It’s convincing Al. Contains comic misunderstandings, misuse of art materials, and unexpected poignancy.