A huge one. The US senator he works for has run away with his latest mistress on the eve of a make-or-break fund-raising event, and it’s up to him to cover his boss’s irresponsible tracks.Stone Jackson, the senator’s new bodyguard, looks enough like the senator that, with some extensive grooming, he might pass for Senator Lacey. Christian and Stone hatch a plan to fool everyone by substituting Stone for the senator, but Miami madness and the incendiary heat between them are throwing obstacles in their way. It’s a race to find the senator and pull off the con of the century before the attraction between them spins completely out of control.

    Even though the scars he collected overseas ran deep, her light always brought him through the darkness. But when his ex-wife denies him the chance, those scars bleed into every part of his life and Shane is forced to admit he needs help.“You can’t fool me. I know who you really are.”Aaron Hayes thought he’d found the perfect career as a service dog trainer. Until he realized speaking to crowds was part of the job description. He’s never felt safe in a crowd, but one-on-one? That’s a different story. And when a handsome and troubled veteran needs his help training a service dog, Aaron doesn’t hesitate.“You’re the only one who sees me.”Shane tries his best to keep Aaron at a distance, even though his attraction to the man is undeniable. Convinced a quick fling will get it out of his system, he seduces Aaron. But he soon realizes he’s the one falling under Aaron’s spell. As Aaron starts to become his light in the darkness, Shane fears their future together--or lack thereof. If he can't even win back his own daughter, how is he ever going to fend off his demons long enough to find solace with Aaron?Solace is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

    His coworker Fletcher Bradford is looking for a heaven spot of his own, and his is even more elusive. Out since age 12, Fletcher's been around more blocks than Mateo has ever painted. He's dated all the jerks, all the creeps, all the losers in between. At 26 he's decided the only way to meet a nice guy is just never to give him a chance to prove otherwise. When he's introduced to Mateo, Fletcher expects to add another notch to his bedpost. But Mateo is different--and from him Fletcher will rediscover a long-lost feeling: surprise. What Fletcher finds in the trunk of Mateo's car will change his life in ways he never imagined--and may help him find what he's always wanted.From the author of THE CRANBERRY HUSH comes an epic story spanning years and hemispheres and miles of painted walls. At times sexy and sweet, gritty and gut-wrenching, THE PAINTING OF PORCUPINE CITY takes readers along with Mateo and Fletcher on an adventure through the subways of Boston to the towers of São Paulo. Are you in?

    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.

    It was a lesson he took seriously, and it's the only thing that keeps him safe from more heartbreak. Conner doesn't understand this desire to control things, but he doesn't need to. He loves everything about his control-freak friend, even the way he quirks just one eyebrow. He has for years. With Con's arrival, everything starts unraveling in Tim's life. He's questioning his sexual orientation, wrangling with emotions from his past, and fending off questions from Con's well-meaning family. Drowning in a world out of his control, his one hope is to let go and trust that love will save him. But after so many years of burying his feelings, he's not sure it's possible.

    Or that's how it feels to Adam. It doesn't help that Jesse has a girlfriend back home and claims to be straight, but there's no way with all the sparks and physical intimacy flying between the two roommates.When Adam believes he has reached his ultimate happiness, the bedroom walls come crashing down with a visit from Jesse's girlfriend.Now Jesse has to decide if he can come to terms with his sexuality, while Adam has to learn to accept that Jesse might never be able to crawl out of the closet.

    These stories -- re-edited for quality content and given a Winterheart Designs cover -- were written in 2008, in part as a protest over the passage of Proposition 8 in California. They follow the course of Ethan and Barry's love affair in ten year intervals from the moment they first admit it, at prom in 1978, to a major breakup and reconciliation in 1988, to a family vacation in Hawaii that turns into more in 1998, and election night 2008, a time of deliberation and decision.This version includes the *bonus* holiday (also previously published) story “The Cursed Noel.”

    When his lover dumps him for another man, Paul is forced to rethink his life. He visits his childhood home in rural Pennsylvania rather than spend the holidays alone in San Francisco. But only a few days with his family is enough to convince him that you can't go home again.Paul leaves for the airport in the midst of a snowstorm. Stranded in the woodlands, a chance meeting between him and a hunter is his only option for survival. He knows the type. A backwoods bigot like the men he grew up with. But what choice does he have? A few days with the Mountain Man convinces Paul there's more to Andy Reynolds than meets the eye. But is it enough to bind two men who have nothing in common except their sex?

    After graduating from art school Nate left the Midwest for sunny Southern California, not quite sure what he hoped to find. It was almost certainly not falling in love with another man. His whole world and assumptions about himself begin to slowly turn upside down on one hot summer day. Seeking respite from the heat and his loneliness at Venice Beach he has a chance encounter with a handsome blond surfer. Jez is friendly, easygoing, and just a little bit mysterious. Openly gay, Jez offers Nate a place to stay, and the two men become fast friends. Nate makes new friends, adjusts to his new life, but his unbidden attraction to Jez keeps growing. In their moments of closeness Nate realizes that he wants Jez more than just a friend, but it might be too late. To make Jez his, Nate has to face not only his own fears and insecurities, but his mysterious mate has secrets of his own. Warning: Al fresco man-love, a scene-stealing old coot, and a relentless California sun.

    His boss is on his back, his car is breaking down, and the oppressive heat is broiling him alive. There s no end in sight to his misery.Tall, slender, green-eyed Keith runs the lunch shift at the local diner, an air-conditioned oasis away from what John s life has become. Keith s cheerful personality, constant smile and unbearably sexy body help to remind John that summer is what he makes of it. And with Keith s cooperation, John plans on making this his best summer yet.Warning:Warning: This story contains two hot guys having hot sex one hot summer. Lots of hotness. Please be advised that a fire extinguisher may come in handy; so would ice cubes, used at your discretion."

    So... why do I keep wanting to kiss him? Weddings used to be fun... but then I had to be a groomsman in one. Then two. And now ten. The last place I want to be right now is in this Nowhereville, Idaho small town for my friend’s wedding, still single, and still a groomsman, yet again. And even worse: the best man, Sebastian, makes my blood run hot. Sebastian is a charming, energetic social butterfly--in other words, he’s exactly the opposite of me. I just got dumped by my ex-boyfriend, and right now what I want is time alone. The last thing I need is some over-eager small-town guy to be constantly flitting around me, trying to get me to participate in bachelor party festivities. But Sebastian isn’t afraid to challenge me. And some primal part of me loves every minute of it. When he shows up at my hotel room on the night of the bachelor party, hot and desperate, I can’t say no to him. Suddenly, it’s like fire when we’re together, and I can’t keep my hands off of him. But I can’t ever be with him. The other groomsmen don’t know we’ve been ending up in each other’s beds. And besides, he’s a small-town guy, and I live and breathe the city. I can’t commit to anything, and Sebastian could have any other guy he wanted. Am I destined to forever be just a groomsman, never the star of my own show? Always the Groomsman is a 78,000-word gay romance novel, complete with a jaded city slicker, a small-town guy with a heart of gold, and a friendly little pug named Jelly. There’s plenty of steam, sleeping-bag cuddling on camping trips, small-town charm in the middle of nowhere, and a happily-ever-after ending.

    He needs closure before he can move on. He is still angry at the man for never getting in touch after his parents moved away when David and Elliot were caught kissing at age seventeen.Elliot Watkins has never forgotten his first and only lover David but lives under his father's scrutiny, too afraid to come out before he gets access to his trust fund when he turns twenty-five. His fiancee Patricia Hobart constantly nags him and he wants nothing more than to live his own life and to become an architect.Falling back into each other's arms is relatively easy. But will Elliot be able to free himself from his father's influence? Will David be able to forgive his lover and have the patience to wait until Elliot is ready?Reader Advisory: This book is the first in a series linked by theme and characters appearing in more than one book. The stories, while they can be read on their own, are best read in sequence."

    In a bid to escape his pain, Jonah moved halfway across the country to start over. Now, his mother’s death brings him home where he will discover a shared passion with his childhood best friend. Neil Brogan returns home hoping to reconnect with Jonah and ends up with more than he ever thought possible. They live on opposite sides of the country but the distance between them may be more than mere miles. Neil hopes to convince Jonah that some rules are made to be broken.

    After being bullied all his life for being gay, that’s exactly what he does. He loses all contact with everyone in the town of Pickleville, including his emotionally distant mother and the only true friend he ever had.When his best friend and mother of the child they share, get murdered he knows he must ask for help in the one place he thought he would never go back to. Coming back home isn’t easy and finding himself attracted to the town man-slut spells disaster. Travis Heath isn’t at all what his reputation suggests though.

    Will Ryder cross a line no man should cross to obtain a second chance?Ryder Halloway made a life changing decision about his relationship with Harlan when he was young and stupid. Thanks to one rash moment, he lost it all. He lost the only man he would ever love, his drive to even try to finish college and his zest for life.Seven years later finds him in front of Harlan's house preparing to take back what he lost with a vengeance. He's prepared to use all the tricks in his arsenal to plow through every wall, protest and excuse Harlan might come up with.Of course, he never expected Harlan to put him in the hospital.Harlan Mychels had his heart broken in college by the popular Ryder. He learned his lesson about love and since then hasn't allowed anyone even remotely close to his heart. Then one morning he turns and sees the one person able to tear his walls down and destroy what is left of it.He uses every defensive tactic in his possession to keep Ryder at arm's length, but Ryder is persistent. Harlan's not sure if he can stay safe from heartache, and he starts wondering what the real heartache is – letting Ryder in again...or letting him go for good.**This book was previously published in the Story Orgy anthology Word Play**