Taking care of the bum curled up on his doorstep isn’t part of the plan. When he realizes the man has been assaulted, Jake takes him to the hospital, where he learns that Max is his downstairs neighbor… and that he could really use a friend. Keeping Max in the friend-zone would be easier if he wasn’t so damned cute.Maxwell Wilson has been bullied for years, and the only person who ever cared lives too far away to come to his rescue. Now his upstairs neighbor is offering support. Max remains cautious, suspecting he is little more than a project for the handsome Jake. When he learns Jake has had boyfriends as well as girlfriends, Max has to reevaluate his priorities—and muster the courage to take a chance at love.Just when a happy future is within their grasp, life knocks them back down. A devastating blow leaves Max lower than ever and Jake wrestling with regret. They both have to find the strength to stand on their own before they can stand together.

    Suffering from amnesia, bound to a wheelchair with a broken arm and a broken leg, he relies on his in-home caregiver, Dane Mathis, to help him with everything from bathing to eating. Guy wants Dane to be more than just a caregiver, but Dane keeps his distance. Six months after their relationship ended, Dane Mathis drops everything to help Guy put his life back together. It’s difficult to treat Guy like a stranger, but he knows he must not give in to his deep desires. He won’t risk Guy’s anger by revealing the true nature of their relationship. Or the reality of their past together. Even so, Dane can’t help but hope that this is their second chance at love...

     After spending too many years running from his past, he’s found something like peace. Working all day as a short-order cook in a dying town, then drinking himself to sleep at night isn’t much of a life but he thinks it’s all he needs, until the day he notices the kid. Lucas is quiet, barely twenty, sporting a shy smile beneath his frightened eyes, and bruises that Ryan can relate to all too well. Torn between wanting to help Lucas and simply wanting him, Ryan’s resolve to keep the kid at arm’s length slowly wears away. Until Lucas disappears. Ryan’s not the sort of man to be anyone’s white knight. But as it turns out, what Ryan is capable of, is exactly what Lucas needs. ….. Novella – 24k words

    From private school to joining the military, he tried to forge his own path while making as few ripples as possible. But an injury forced him to figure out new goals for his life. After his parents were involved in a sex scandal, he decided to go back home to Tennessee to get some distance and get away from the madness.He didn’t bargain on Jeremy Beck returning at the same time.Jeremy was finally past the rich boy angst that made for some dramatic teenage years, but he hadn’t earned back much respect from his parents by playing in an indie band. Now that his band was on hiatus, Jeremy was looking for space from his unhealthy non-relationship with a band mate, so returning home to figure out his next step seemed like the way to go.Their initial reunion turned awkward. Carter was still holding on to hurts from their last meeting and Jeremy was trying to convince himself that Carter was still just his sister’s closeted little friend. But when they open up to one another again and decide a staycation fling would be a nice distraction, they may get more than they bargained for.For two guys who’ve had so much drama in their lives, it might surprise them to find that sometimes love is found in the simple things. Who knew?

    Naim Moreau’s life, the last thing he expected was to lose his heart! But he can’t resist his quiet, mysterious doctor, nor does he want to. He wants to make a life with Naim—preferably locked away in his apartment worshiping each other like they were meant to be. Because they are.Things aren’t as clear for Naim. His past haunts him to his soul, and he would rather die than let Deck seem him the way he sees himself. Being honest with Deck and showing his true face could cause him to lose Deck forever. But is it possible that just maybe Deck will see another man? A beautiful man? And what price is Naim willing to pay to take that chance?

    Then piece by piece, all the good in his life was taken away until Alex was left alone as guardian to his much younger sister. Suffering and loss scarred Alex, causing him to withdraw from the world. Struggling with anxiety and trust issues, Alex attempts to help Evie heal from their shared traumatic past, but each day is harder than the last. To make matters worse, Alex’s best friend, Ben, is pushing him to get out of his rut, confronting him with the fact that what Alex thinks is contentment is just stagnation and fear. The last thing he needs is for an old acquaintance to reappear in his life, making him feel things he hadn’t dealt with in years. The executive of the marketing department at graphic design firm Vivid, Kelley has his life together. While not perfect, he’s happy with his career and his three best friends. A chance encounter with Alex, the guy he was once attracted to, is icing on the cake. Fighting through Alex’s defenses to find the breathtaking man underneath will be hard, but Kelley is up to the challenge. Kelley believes that the things most worth fighting for never come easy. To accept all that Kelley is offering means Alex must drop his barriers. Kelley will need to keep trying and prove that Alex can trust him, even when grief and anxiety try to pull him back.

    Being called a hero and having his photo plastered across the news makes him hate himself more. He despises his cushy job flying with the Marine One squadron, carrying the president and other officials, when he’d rather risk something, even death. He gets his wish when he’s ordered to fly a series of classified trips. Matt “Beau” Beaumont has been relegated to covering the fashion beat after getting downsized from a hard-news position. But an unexpected invitation to a White House dinner might be the boost his career needs. Offering a hot marine an after-dinner blowjob wasn’t on Beau’s agenda, but when Jake takes him up on the proposition, some phenomenal casual sex soon blossoms into a relationship both of them crave. When Beau’s extracurricular research uncovers defense department funding anomalies, he soon discovers the trouble goes higher than he imagined. Just as events start to make sense, the investigation puts Beau and Jake in deadly danger. It takes a daring play by Jake—risking everything he loves—to uncover the truth.

    But Kai is straight and he and Riley have nothing in common. Riley’s a desk jockey and hunky Kai is obsessed with the great outdoors, just like the rest of Riley’s family. It’s bad enough that Riley is forced to go camping for his dad’s 50th birthday. Even worse when gorgeous Kai shows up too and Riley isn’t sure how long his crush will remain secret. Kai always liked his best friend’s cute but shy little brother. When they reunite after a few years apart, Kai is surprised to find that Riley has grown up…and Kai can’t get him out of his head. Maybe now that Riley is an adult they can be friends? When their camping trip takes an unexpected turn, Kai and Riley find themselves stranded together out in the wild. The chemistry between them is undeniable. But Riley is too afraid to believe this could be real, even though Kai knows this is no longer just about friendship for him. They don’t have long before they will have to rejoin civilisation. Can they face the truth in front of them before their lives pull them apart once more? Without a Compass is a steamy, standalone MM romance novel with campfire kisses, a dog with a mind of her own and a guaranteed HEA with absolutely no cliffhanger. This second re-edited edition does not contain new content.

    And ditch the gray sweatpants. And not leave his door ajar when he’s in compromising positions ...Beau:In search of: roommate.Must be non smoker and non douchebag.Room payment to be made in meal planning, repairs, and dumb jokes.Since my career took off, I barely have time to breathe, let alone keep my life in order. I’m naturally chaotic, make terrible decisions, and scare off potential dates with my “weirdness”.So when Payne gets back into town and needs somewhere to stay, I offer him my spare room with one condition: while he’s staying with me, I need him to help me become date-able.And while he does that, I can focus on my other plan: ignoring that Payne is the only man I’ve ever wanted to date.

    Growing up, he only had one friend and spent his teenage years building a software company that made him a millionaire in his early twenties. Despite his success and being what anyone would refer to as a hot nerd, Brandon found himself in a catastrophic marriage that resulted in him being a single father. Jude Strickland is Brandon's only friend. He's also the exact opposite of Brandon. Musically gifted, charming, popular, easygoing, stylish and strikingly handsome, Jude could have any woman he wanted. Which was moot because Jude wasn't into women. At night, he was having more than his share of luck with men and was content living quietly with Brandon, helping him raise his young son, Noah. A bad party, a few too many drinks, an argument and an insane offer turn their comfortable lives inside out and challenges everything they know about themselves and each other.

    Unfortunately, that ship sailed when I was a teenager, even though Chase Hawthorne always treated me like nothing more than a younger sibling. Things were worse after my parents died. Chase was sweet and supportive, which only strengthened my feelings for him. But then he'd act like I couldn't take care of myself, and that part didn't go over well with me. Yeah, I had a habit of screwing up. I'd always been the weird boy in our small town, but just like my big brother, he took overprotective to a new level. Until one night when I was eighteen and Chase and I hooked up. It was a ding to the ego that he left town right afterward. Ridiculously, I'm still not over him. CHASEI betrayed my best friend, Griffin, the night I messed around with Kellan. So I ran--first to the Marines, then into law enforcement. Ten years later, I'm back home, this time as a patrol officer rather than a troublemaker's son. Oh, and unable to keep my hands off Kellan Caine. There's always been something about him...the way he stands strong in who he is, even when he's standing alone. I'm trapped between someone I want more than anything and Griff, the guy who's like family to me. Yet the more time I spend with Kellan, the harder it becomes to deny there's something real between us. With my dad stirring up trouble, and me going behind my best friend's back, everything's a mess. The more tangled the web gets, the more I realize I need Kellan. And that there might be something in the Hawthorne family history that'll make me lose both Kellan and Griffin for good.

    Little did they know that sometimes it better to deal with the Devil himself than his Advocate. The World quickly learned that the only currency the Advocate wallowed in was red – the color of vengeance. In the end it was true, the ‘Devil’ was dead. An innocent man wore the face of someone who wandered the darker underbelly of life and made the shadows cringe. Trevor was a good Catholic boy who shared groceries with his elderly neighbors; walked their pets; worked an honest job and tried to write the next great novel as he made his way in the world. The problem now was that dark world found out that Trevor was still alive. Would the Devil’s Advocate be enough to protect the innocent or would Erik use this chance to revive the Devil of his dreams?Pb is 263 pages

    . . a faggot? A queer? A sissy? About a dozen more words meandered through my brain, every word I’d ever heard from my friends, from adults, from TV. Was that who I was now? Were those words me now?"While most gay men grow up living in the closet until they are brave enough to step out and be themselves, Adam Shepherd experiences the opposite. After living almost all of his young life out and gay, he goes into the closet, willingly, in order to have the career and life he wants and needs. He thinks he can handle it, but he soon discovers how much he has truly given up.Chase Michaels was always there for Adam, a substitute “big-brother” and true friend in his growing up years. Adam has always harbored a secret involving Chase, but it conflicts with the closet he now lives in as an adult. When the pressure becomes too much, Adam chooses to stay in his closet . . . but at what cost? And can he change things before it’s too late?Original Prompt:Dear Author,I've missed him so much and I'd hoped he be there when I came home. I just didn't want to expect too much. After so many years of being just friends, we became more and then I got my orders. Before we could start anything, it felt like everything was over. But he came, he's here! I just couldn't contain myself and ran right into his arms.Can someone please tell me how these two began, how they survived apart and what's next? :)Photo Description: Military homecoming: Marine dressed in fatigues greets his civilian lover with a passionate embrace, arms and legs wrapped around him, as they kiss passionately, framed by a large, vibrant American Flag behind them.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" 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.Read the story here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 6.

    Not every compass points north.
Andrew Summers is forced to spend his vacations reliving Civil War battles with his father. He hates every minute until a blue-eyed, red-haired boy behind enemy lines catches his eye.Shep Wells would much rather travel the world than play at boring war reenactments. He never dreamed a Texan boy would capture his heart.Real life and years separate them; Andrew is forced onto real battlefields, but for Shep the world is a playground. They’re opposites, but writing letters closes the distance, uncovering their hopes and dreams. When Shep visits Andrew, they get to see if the tug they’ve felt for years is the compass pointing the way home.A story about first times, second chances, and the transformative power of the written word.

    But when a nasty car accident robs him of two years of memories, he finds himself thousands of miles from home, covered in tattoos, living with a man he doesn’t recognize. Gorgeous and enigmatic, Auriel is just Olivier’s type—but it’s clear there’s a big secret his supposed “housemate” isn’t telling him. “We’re not just roommates; you’re the love of my life.” Auriel Floros loves everything about his life: his job, his overgrown garden, and most all, his boyfriend Olivier. Quick-witted and fiercely passionate, Olivier is the perfect partner…up until he forgets who Auriel is. Suddenly, their happily ever after shatters before Auriel’s eyes. But medical professionals warn Auriel to keep Olivier’s stress level at a minimum, and Auriel makes the heart-breaking decision to pretend he and Olivier were friends and housemates—nothing more. “You still know how to love me…I’ll remind you.” Auriel misses his boyfriend desperately, longing for the easy intimacy and scorching sex they shared before the accident. Olivier can’t help gravitating toward Auriel, charmed by his patience and the elaborate home-cooked meals he prepares for Olivier each night. Over bowls of chili and late night talks, Olivier finds himself unable to resist digging into their shared history and trying to find out what makes Auriel seems so mysterious and sad. It’s hard to keep a secret when you’re living in the same house, and heartbreak seems inevitable as tension builds between them. Ultimately they have to work together to rebuild Olivier’s life, and in the process they find themselves on fragile ground. Fragile Ground is a contemporary MM romance with plenty of heat, hurt/comfort and second chance themes, and a guaranteed happy ending.