That One Summer


K.M. Neuhold - 2018
    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.

Foxy Mates


Jacki James - 2019
    He plans to spend the summer before school starts making Copper Creek home. He doesn't expect to meet his mate the first week he's there, and he sure doesn't expect to find himself in the middle of a shifter rescue operation when a young rabbit shifter is taken hostage. This 9000-word short story was previously offered as part of a group short story giveaway and remains unchanged. A Copper Creek Shifters Short.

What’s in a Name?


Pat Henshaw - 2015
    Jimmy is immediately rescued by the burly owner of Stonewall Saloon, who has had his eye on Jimmy since the first time he came in months before.Jimmy's fine with being saved but wants to know the bartender's real name since the guy has worn name tags with an assortment of names every time Jimmy has spoken to him. After Jimmy nicknames him Guy, the bartender decides to turn guessing his first name into a game, giving Jimmy a guess a day for a week and promising to wine and dine him during that time. If Jimmy's guess is wrong, he owes Guy a zing-zow, knock-your-socks-off kiss. Jimmy agrees since this sounds like a slam-dunk, win-win deal.While he searches for cringe-worthy given names, Jimmy is distracted by the destruction of his shopping mall coffee shop. He is also beset by the town council that doesn't want him to buy an historic bank building in Old Town Stone Acres to set up another coffee shop. The celestial high of being romanced by Guy and the abyss of business worries don't seem like the road to happily ever after. However, Jimmy and Guy might be in for a big surprise.

Brave for You


Crystal Lacy - 2018
    When he meets the friendly pediatrician who lives three doors down, he only expects friendship—even when it's clear An is up for more.An unexpected kiss, feelings Nate has never had before, and a friendship neither wants to risk. Are they brave enough to give their love a chance to flourish?A sweet and steamy slow burn M/M romance set in Hawaii. This story is a HEA story with NO cliffhangers. Subsequent books in the series will feature new main characters.

Chasing the High


Beth Michele - 2016
    Dumped. Abandoned. Jilted.That only happened in books. Fictional disasters like the kind I wrote. It wasn’t supposed to happen to me, Sam Stone. My life was supposed to be orderly. Organized. Perfect. But I had no control over my fiancé’s decision to leave me.What better place to be alone while nursing my broken heart than in paradise, right? Two weeks of sandy beaches and tranquil waters to quietly rethink my life.That's what I thought anyway--until Drew Mariano came along and shook everything up. He shook me up. He made me feel high on life.But I was afraid...the higher I got...the harder I was going to fall...**This is a steamy mm for readers eighteen and over due to language and graphic sexual content.**

Compromised


Bailey Queen - 2015
    But he meets Tanner Bagley, a rancher from rural Pennsylvania in a hick dive bar, and sparks fly. For the first time since everything went to hell, he feels alive again.Ben runs from his emotions as a rule, and he flees in the middle of the night, trudging back to his dreary life in Baltimore and his failing job as a FBI agent. But then his team is assigned to investigate a murder in that same backwater township in Pennsylvania where he met Tanner, and it’s a different set of sparks that fly when faces Tanner again.As the bodies start to pile up, tensions flare, and Ben is stuck between teammates that question his every move and a devastatingly handsome rancher whose heart he bruised. The lies keep piling up, and Ben is forced to stake his career – and his very life – on the trembling hopes of his wounded heart.Deep in the countryside, someone is hunting gay men in Middle Creek, Pennsylvania… Gay men all with ties to Special Agent Diggs’ one-night-stand…

Exchange of Hearts


N.R. Walker - 2015
    Surrounded by wealth, nannies, and material things, all he craves is the approval of his father. Sent away to the boarding school his father and grandfather attended, it’s assumed he will follow in their footsteps from Sydney’s prestigious Ivy League school straight into medical school.But Harrison doesn’t want to be a doctor.He dreams of music and classical piano. His only true happiness, his escape from the world expected of him, is dismissed by his intolerant and emotionally detached parents. Levi Aston arrives from London for a three-month student exchange program. Free-spirited and confident in who he is and what he wants to do with his life, Levi convinces Harrison not give up on his dreams.But convincing Harrison not to give up on his family might not be so easy.

Catch My Breath


M.J. O'Shea - 2013
    He just needs his big break. So when he hears that Blue Horizon Records is holding auditions looking for the next big thing, Danny jumps at the chance. It doesn’t turn out exactly as he imagined, though. Instead of getting solo contracts, Danny and four other guys are put into a boy band. Innocent, idealistic Elliot Price thinks he’s headed for college. An impulsive decision to sing in the local talent search changes all that. A bigwig producer happens to see him, hands him a business card, and turns Elliot’s life upside down. Elliot and Danny are close from the beginning. They love all the guys, but it’s different with each other. Soon their friendship turns into feelings more intense than either of them can ignore. The other three boys only want Danny and Elliot to be happy, but when their management team and record label discover two of their biggest tween heartthrobs are in a relationship, they’re less than pleased. Danny and Elliot find themselves in the middle of a circle of lies and cover-ups, all with one bottom line—money. They have to stay strong and stick together if they don’t want to lose themselves… and each other.

Black Dust


Lynn Charles - 2016
    When his students are asked to perform in New York City, he decides to chance reconnecting with his former love, if for no other reason than to get a proper goodbye.When Emmett and Tobias finally meet 15 years after parting ways, it is clear to both of them that their feelings for each other have not changed. As they explore their renewed relationship, the two men face old hurts and the new challenges of a long-distance romance. Will Tobias lose his second chance at love to the ghosts he can’t seem to put to rest?

A Casual Thing


Annabelle Jacobs - 2015
    Easy. Spending the summer with his brother was Patrick Mason’s only plan for his uni break. What he hadn’t counted on was sharing space with his brother’s best friend—and Patrick’s long-time crush—Will Adams. It’s only for two weeks, though. He can handle that without embarrassing himself. Right? It’s been a while since Will’s seen his best mate’s little brother, Patrick, and he wasn’t prepared for the change in him. The attractive young man who turns up for the summer break is far from the scrawny teen Will remembers. Against Will’s better judgment, Patrick convinces him that a little no-strings fun is just what they need. But Patrick’s never been good at separating sex from feelings, and this time is no exception. As their time together draws to a close, he needs to work out if they have something worth pursuing or if it’s really just a casual thing. Previously published through Dreamspinner Press. The free Christmas short story, A Serious Thing, is now included in this edition.

Fret


Sandrine Gasq-Dion - 2015
    He doesn't do emotions, and he doesn't do babysitting. Used to being on his own, his job consists of Wetwork (a charming term coined by the KGB) for his former Master Chief, Mac. When an out-of-the-ordinary job lands on his doorstep, Axel heads down a path that includes a famous heavy metal rock band and one quiet, vulnerable, guitar-shredding virtuoso named Gareth Wolf.Gareth Wolf's life changed in an instant when a car he was a passenger in crashed, hurting his brother's best friend and the band's lead guitarist. They created the band, Skull Blasters, as kids. Gareth had always been happy in the background, playing roadie. With the lead guitarist's injury, Gareth is suddenly thrust into the limelight and into a frenzied life he never imagined for himself. Finally fed up with living a lie, Gareth comes out as gay in a newspaper interview and finds himself in the bulls-eye of a crazed stalker. Somebody wants Gareth hurt - or worse - and Mac has been hired to be sure that doesn't happen. Babysitting duty is NOT Axel's strong suit, but Mac won't be budged.Enter Axel Blaze. Against his better judgment, the big man takes the job to protect the shy musician. The more time he spends with Gareth Wolf, the more he admires the man. Where's a simple assassination when you need one? The situation becomes more volatile for each man as the attempts on Gareth escalate just as Axel finds himself falling for the quiet lead guitarist.Strong, funny, smart-ass -- and kinda sweet Axel is everything Gareth has ever wanted in a man. Too bad he's off limits. As the stalker grows bolder, Gareth and Axel move closer emotionally - but is it too late? All Axel knows is that they don't stand a chance if he can't find the maniac trying to kill the man he's come to care about. A lot.Everyone knows that relationships that begin in pressured or volatile situations eventually fizzle out. Or do they?

Switch


Lina Langley - 2016
    Kyle's life seems to be spiraling out of control. Greg doesn't mind picking up the pieces, but his normally smart, ambitious and good-looking friend seems more distracted than usual after his last break-up. And he's starting to get annoyed at Greg trying to lend him a hand. What Greg doesn't realize is that Kyle is keeping something from him... and it could change both of their lives forever.

The Imperfection of Swans


Brandon Witt - 2016
    At thirty-eight, he quits a successful advertising career to buy an old brownstone in a trendy Boston neighborhood and to make his dream a reality. When one of his cosigners drops out, fate intervenes, ushering in Casper James, who hopes to open his own bakery. With Casper willing to take the risk, their ambitions meld into a wedding dress and wedding cake boutique.Extensive renovations to the brownstone, an affair with his ex-husband, family drama with his mothers, and the anxiety of significant life changes push Kevin to the brink of a nervous breakdown. In the midst of stress and uncertainty, Casper becomes more than a business partner, a mutual attraction that adds another layer of intensity and risk.With their dreams on the verge of reality, Kevin and Casper must find the courage to face the stress of managing their attraction, the gamble of a new business venture, and the resurgence of Kevin’s personal demons.

The Last Text


Alice Winters - 2019
    I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will.When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer. It makes me feel like there’s a piece of him still alive, at least in my heart.I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number. I apologize for not responding sooner, but I was at work.That is, until someone responds to my text. Jace is charming, sweet, and everything I could ever want. But how can I accept someone new in my life when Daniel’s only been gone two years? Even so, Jace starts to consume my world. It feels like I can finally breathe as he helps me understand that my life doesn’t have to revolve around my grief.Soon, I find myself laughing again as he pulls me away from the hopeless cycle I’ve been caught in, and I love spending time with him, whether it’s playing video games together or discussing our comic book alter egos. But I still need to let go of this guilt and allow Jace to show me that I can love another without replacing what I’ve lost. Jace rewrites my entire world with every word and smile he gives me, and it’s becoming harder to not give in and hand him my heart. Maybe Daniel did respond after all.The Last Text is a 37k word novella about overcoming loss, finding hope, and friendship that leads to new love.

Love in Spades


Charlie Cochet - 2018
    As part owner of Four Kings Security, Ace and his fellow Kings tackle everything from armed transport and investigations to cyber intelligence and executive protection. Cocky, fearless, and brash, Ace isn’t afraid to take risks.After years of working alongside his father, Colton Connolly is ready to take the helm at Connolly Maritime, but his father’s retirement is put on hold when Colton begins receiving death threats. If that isn’t bad enough, his father signs a contract with Four Kings Security to provide Colton with round-the-clock protection, despite his adamant refusal. Colton’s life has been turned upside down, the last thing he needs is a shadow, especially in the form of infuriating, sexy-as-sin Ace Sharpe, who seems to be on a mission to drive Colton mad.Sparks fly the moment Colton and Ace meet on a sultry night club dance floor. But getting involved with a client, even one as fiery and beautiful as Colton Connolly, is a line Ace is unwilling to cross. Colton might be attracted to Ace, but he’d been burned before. He might be willing to put his life in Ace’s hands, but not his heart.As the Florida nights heat up, so does their passion, and Ace and Colton are faced with a difficult choice—take the plunge and risk it all, or play it safe and walk away?If Ace can keep a deadly threat from robbing Colton of a future….