Owen is disconcerted to realize he's still attracted to Caleb Black but refuses to pursue him. Caleb left him once, and Owen's not going down that road again.Caleb is ready for a second chance with Owen and gets it when fate and the matchmaking McKenzies conspire to strand the two men in a rustic cabin during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Can Caleb convince Owen to rekindle their romance so they can stop spending their holidays apart?Nine Lights Over Edinburgh By Harper FoxDetective Inspector James McBride is riding high on the belief that he's about to bust a human-trafficking ring. But just five days before Christmas, his unorthodox methods catch up with him and his world comes crashing down.McBride tries to concentrate on his new day job as security for the visiting Israeli ambassador. He even starts to feel a renewed sense of self-worth when the leader of the Israeli team, the aristocratic Tobias Leitner, takes a bullet for him in the line of duty. But he can't forget the trafficking case, especially when his investigations result in the kidnapping of his own daughter! McBride has no one to turn to for help-no one, except Toby.Can these two very different men work together to bring about a holiday miracle-and heal one another's heart in the process?I Heard Him Exclaim By Z.A. MaxfieldWho Likes a Skinny Santa?Steve Adams's heart hasn't been in the Christmas spirit ever since doctors put a stent in it and ordered him to clean up his act. No longer filling out his Santa suit or allowed to make merry, he's forgoing the holidays this year and heading to Vegas to indulge in the few vices left to him: gambling and anonymous sex.His road trip takes a detour when he encounters Chandler Tracey, who's just inherited guardianship of his five-year-old niece. Overwhelmed, Chandler's on his way to deliver Poppy to his parents. But fate has other plans and, after car trouble, Chandler and Poppy accept a ride home with Steve. Though the heat between the two men is obvious, they put it on simmer while they band together to make Poppy's Christmas as perfect as possible.Steve soon comes to believe that while Chandler is the right person to look after Poppy, someone needs to look after Chandler. Fortunately, Steve knows just the man for the job.Icecapade By Josh LanyonOn the eve of the new millennium, diamond thief Noel Snow seduced FBI special agent Robert Cuffe, then fled into the dawn. Now a successful novelist, Noel uses his capers as fodder for his books, and has modeled his hero's nemesis (and potential love interest) on Cuffe. Though he leaves Robert a drunken phone message every New Year's Eve, Noel hasn't seen or heard from him in a decade.So he's thrilled when his former lover shows up at his upstate farm one Christmas Eve. Elation quickly turns to alarm when Robert accuses Noel of being responsible for a recent rash of diamond heists. Robert is all business and as cold as ice: it seems his only interest in Noel is to put him behind bars.Innocent of the crimes, and still as attracted as ever to the oh-so-serious lawman, Noel plans a second seduction-providing he can stay out of jail long enough!

    When he met Drea, he hoped she might be the one. But when he felt more chemistry with her gay cousin Zach, Ryan felt more confused and terrified than he had in his life. He wasn't gay but he wanted to be with Zach. How could it possibly work?

    Then Prophet gets bored one night during an ice storm and insists on playing another simple game with Tom: Truth or Dare. In exchange for one of Prophet’s truths, Tom steals the couch one last time.But Prophet’s truths are never easy—Tom should know that by now—and this one raises questions neither of them quite know how to answer. In response, Tom finds himself laying claim to Prophet in the most basic way he knows how. And also finds that he doesn’t mind it in the least when Prophet returns the favor.

    She had enough to deal with running as a Republican and a closeted lesbian. But when Special Agent Robin Hart from the FBI arrives in Cincinnati to investigate a corruption case, Tess finds herself spending more time than she should with the attractive woman. Things get a little more complicated when Robin begins to display signs of affection, and Tess fears her own outing might erupt in political scandal and sink all chances of pursuing her dreams.

    Catherine is an accomplished neurosurgeon looking for a fresh start in a new city. A chance meeting between the two imprints the doctor in Alexis' mind, with thoughts of Catherine pushing to the forefront months after they meet. When life places the pair in the same city, Alexis is unable to deny her attraction to Catherine. As the pair become closer, Alexis finds herself falling for Catherine, despite knowing that her feelings will never be reciprocated. Can the pair navigate through life and maintain their friendship or does fate have something else in store?Recommended for 18 years or age or older. F/F romance. Contains some strong language and explicit adult situations. 101,800 words.

    Which one carries the highest cost? And what price is worth paying? The quiet, tough Aya Lawson has been forced to leave her career as a professional boxer behind and now scrambles for a purpose. Gwen Davies is a chatty barista, and artist in her free time, who lives with clinical depression. They both have battles to fight but they also have something else in common - pining over the woman of their dreams. When daydreams one day meet reality, things get complicated. Is it best to stay with what’s safe? Or to fall and maybe break? If they do take the chance and break, who will get back up?

    As a project manager, she’s pulled extra hours going above and beyond. Just when it seems like she’s almost there, she nearly has a nervous break-down from the stress. She has to figure out a way to blow off steam, or everything she’s worked for will unravel. Quinn starts to wonder how her beautiful co-worker Estelle deals with the same work stress and simultaneously keeps it all together. The answer surprises Quinn, and she soon finds herself in the lifestyle of bondage and submission. As one of Mistress Jade’s subs, she realizes that handing the reins of power over to someone else for a change feels amazing! With each session, Quinn’s iron walls start to crumble. She’s handling work better. She’s entertaining ideas of relationships she would never have thought possible. She’s finally allowing herself to have a good balance between her personal and work life. Then Quinn is faced with the dilemma of choosing between love and life, or her career. It will be the hardest decision she’s ever had to make, and if she doesn’t choose right, it could cost her everything she’s built up for herself, including her beloved Mistress Jade. ***This book contains bondage and submission, and intimate scenes between women who identify as bisexual or lesbian. If you find this content offensive, please do not buy this book.***

    Locke has lived over two centuries and works like a demon, both figuratively and literally. As the owner of a successful pharmaceutical company that specializes in blood research, she has changed the way she can live her life. Wanting for nothing, she has smartly compartmentalized her life so that when she needs to, she can pick up and start all over again, which happens every twenty years or so. Love is not an emotion A.J. spends much time on. Since losing the love of her life to the plague one hundred fifty years ago, she vowed to never travel down that road again. That isn't to say she doesn't have women when she wants them, she just wants them on her terms and that doesn't involve a long term commitment. A.J.'s cool veneer is peeled back when she sees the love of her life in a lesbian bar, in the same town, in the same day and time in which she lives. Is her mind playing tricks on her? If not, how did Clarissa survive the plague when she had made A.J. promise never to change her? Clarissa Graham is a university professor who has lived an obscure life teaching English literature. She has made it a point to stay off the radar and never become involved with anything that resembles her past life. Every once in a while Clarissa has an itch that needs to be scratched, so she finds an out of the way location to scratch it. She keeps her personal life separate from her professional one, and in doing so she is able to keep her secrets to herself. Suddenly, her life is turned upside down when someone tries to kill her. She finds herself in the middle of an assassination plot with no idea who wants her dead.

    This set includes almost 200,000 words of steamy encounters and sweet romance.

    Well, I'm setting that straight. Now I don't give a damn because I know who I am. I know who I love is nobody's business but my own, and if anybody has a problem with it, then that's theirs, not mine. I can't change who I am any more than you can change the color of your eyes. You might be able to cover them up and make them appear different, but they're still the same underneath no matter what you do."Jaime knows deep down that there's something different about herself. Something that has been suppressed since childhood. Keeping her true feelings pressed down causes her to lead an unhappy life, with empty experiences that mean nothing to her.One night, all of that changes.Stumbling upon a secret club called 'House' introduces her to a world she's never given a single thought to. However, there she quickly understands that there's more to the club than meets the eye.She has the chance to learn how to be herself and to explore her own sexuality without the risk of others finding out before she's ready.One person is there for her every step of the way. A beautiful and mysterious woman known only as Butterfly guides her through her journey of self-discovery.But, when Jaime is ready to admit to her feelings, an accidental discovery sends her reeling.Will she forgive the betrayal from the one person she thought she could trust, or will she hang up her mask and hide away from her true self once more?Warning.This book contains scenes unsuitable for any person under the age of 18 years due to graphic sexual content, and bad language.

    All these stories reflect the iconic sights and national character of the British Isles: a taste of our idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, but also an unashamed representation of the love, loyalty and laughter of our people. Follow the British way of life from historic villages to modern cities, from the countryside to the sea, through history and with a fantasy twist, in gardens, shops, campus and the familiar, much-loved local pub. The stories cover universal themes of romance, desire, remembrance and reconciliation. The authors range from multi-published to up-and-coming, and they all share a passion for their characters, whether through great drama, erotic excitement, humour—or a combination of all three! Contents: The worst pub in London / JL Merrow — Our place / Clare London — We’ll always have Brighton / Zahra Owens — Commission and omission / Charlie Cochrane — Paint / Stevie Carroll — Ben’s new colleague / Serena Yates — Giving it up / Josephine Myles — Thoughts in spring / Mara Ismine — Mouth Almighty / Victoria Blisse — Reunion / Lisa Worrall — While the boys are away / Lucy Felthouse — Nessie / Caroline Stephens — Slap and Motley / Sandra Lindsey — Like a girl / JL Merrow — Last client / Jay Rookwood — Sunshine Superman / Elin Gregory — Escape to the country / Stevie Woods — Prince Charming’s Buttons / Stevie Carroll — Yesterday upon the stairs / Erastes — Benefits of peace / Alex Beecroft — They who come after the stories end / Sophia Deri-Bowen A revealing collection of short LGBT fiction, available free of charge from Smashwords; edited by: Josephine Myles, Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London and JL Merrow. This anthology is a souvenir of the 2011 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love.