Two years after a terrifying night of pain destroyed his normal teenage existence, Aaron Downing still clings to the hope that one day, he will be a fully functional human being. But his life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear. When, in his very first semester of college, he’s assigned Spencer Thomas as a partner for his programming project, Aaron decides that maybe “normal” is overrated. If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough for him to find his footing again. With his parents’ talk of institutionalizing him—of sacrificing him for the sake of his brothers’ stability—Aaron becomes desperate to find a way to cope with his psychological damage or even fake normalcy. Can his new shrink control his own demons long enough to treat Aaron, or will he only deepen the damage? Desperate to understand his attraction for Spencer, Aaron holds on to his sanity with both hands as it threatens to spin out of control.

    Someone’s losing a halo. FBI special agent Daniel O’Pray is a straight shooter both in and out of bed. But things get a little weird when Danny is tasked to be the bait in a sting involving the owner of Philadelphia’s most notorious leather bar. One out-of-control moment with nightclub owner Alexi Romanov throws Danny into a tailspin—sexuality included. Worse, Romanov is a prime suspect in an extortion ring Danny is investigating. And Danny can’t get enough of him. Danny has spent his life following the rules. So why does breaking them for Alexi feel so damn good? Lines are blurring, putting Danny’s career and his life at risk. His heart, well, that’s in jeopardy, too.

    While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he'll find love-until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.Cody has just accomplished his life's goal-get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary's and gets a newfound family. All that's missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it's too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him... if Cody can accept what is offered.

    Since then, he's known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now - finally - the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace.Anthony is a red-haired force of nature. He writes poetry about their enemies and eagerly participates in all Charlie's science experiments without understanding a word. Every morning, he waits at the end of their street so they can get the bus together.But things are changing.Families are important, and complex. Charlie's mum hasn't been well, and his relationship with Anthony begins to shine like a different star in the sky.Can everything come together in this explosion of physics and chemicals that Charlie calls life? Will Anthony Pace ever share his poems with the world, and can the Chihuahua, Princess Arabella, ever learn to stop licking?****WARNING: includes moderately explicit scenes of intimacy between consenting young adult males.

    Reagan is president, The Cosby Show is the most popular show on television and the radio blares Shout incessantly. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mike Ross spills some acid on himself in a lab and is rescued by football star Joe Lassiter. What ensues is funny, touching, realistic and riveting reading.Warning: there is a violent rape scene in this book (not between the main characters).

    But when a mysterious stranger passes out cold in front of him after a street fight, Ben knows right away that this could be something special, that this man isn't like anyone else he's ever known. The heat between Eric Green and Ben is fierce and immediate. But it's more than a physical attraction. Ben is drawn to the sorrow and vulnerability that lie behind Eric's hot temper and suspicious nature. Generous, open, and trusting, Ben vows to help Eric put the violence and abuse of his past behind him and heal the damage it did to him. As Ben tears down the walls Eric has built around himself and Eric learns to trust again, the powerful attraction between them grows and deepens into a love that could last a lifetime. But the past isn't always so easily pushed aside... Publisher's Note: Forgotten Song is a homoerotic love story and as such contains subject matter that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices and violence.

    Their easy camaraderie continues with no problems until David discovers an undercurrent of heat and tension flowing between them. Despite knowing his best friend is straight, David is slowly falling in love. What he doesn't know is that Trace is struggling with a similar discovery.Trace has never desired another man before. He's a ladies' man with quite the reputation, considered a top prize around town. But his close, treasured friendship with David makes the emotion and arousal growing between them irresistible. Soothing David's doubts, Trace makes it clear that he wants to know if they can make it work. Because Trace is sure he wouldn't love another man -- that's not the issue. He just loves David.

    Sure, he's a successful lawyer with a nice car and a nice apartment, but his life is empty, and Tucker knows why. A decade ago, not ready to come out of the closet, he left Whit Jamison behind. Tucker's spent ten years pretending to be straight-ten years thinking about his mistakes. But all the time in the world couldn't prepare him for the reality of seeing Whit again. Whit's taller, more mature, more attractive than ever, and every bit as out and proud as he was ten years ago. Time hasn't changed the chemistry between them, and it looks like Tucker might get a second chance. All he has to do is brush aside the years of lies and embrace one powerful truth.

    During one afternoon at the university library, they find they are the perfect match. Now they have to find out if they can keep on proving that some things are even more enjoyable than a good book.As the two begin exploring their most secret sexual fantasies, neither can imagine walking away. With only one semester left before they head off in different directions, they discover it's impossible to avoid their growing feelings for each other. When a desperate bully tries to destroy Mark's chance at the career he's always wanted and tries to keep him away from Scott, the two lovers must come to terms with exactly what it means to be in love with someone--and how to be brave enough to go after what it is they truly want.This is the expanded, full-length novel. The original short story is chapter one of this novel. This work contains graphic language and explicit sexual content between two men, including some light BDSM (spanking and bondage). Intended for adult audiences only.Length: 65,000+ words

    Forced to overcome physical and emotional trauma, the young lovers turn to a network of family and friends as they attempt to rebuild their lives. But can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

    But that doesn’t mean he has the confidence to make a move on the gorgeous young blond who just breezed in to the Blue Dragon Bar. Fate will play its hand, anyway. Finding the same young blond beaten to the edge of death, terrified of a hospital, Sebastian has to choose - walk away, or try to save a life.This one chance encounter will lead Sebastian into a web of danger. Who is the enemy and who is a friend? Who will he trust when everyone has a reason to lie? How far will he go, and what will it cost, to do the right thing?Original Prompt:Dear Author,I'm so out of my league with this one I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. I watched him walk into that bathroom. How could I not notice him? Just look at him. He's fucking beautiful. I didn't see him come back out, but I was trying to play it cool, ya know? I thought maybe he'd left when after 30 minutes I didn't see him in the bar anywhere. Shrugging it off, figuring he's probably a good 10 years too young for me anyway, I went to the bathroom and saw him again. Only this time he was a broken, bloody heap on the floor in the last stall. Shit! I rushed over to him, felt for a pulse and tried to assess the damage. I'm just a retired Navy medic, not a doctor but when I roused him, he started screaming and pleading with me not to take him to the hospital. Said they'd kill him if they found him and they'd be sure and look there first. So I picked him up, carried him out and brought him home. He's so badly beaten. I think they kicked him half to death. I have to examine him, but he's so scared. I'm not sure if he's been raped or not but how do I get him to trust me enough to even check? Please help me put this beautiful, battered boy back together again.Photo Description: A bleached-blond young man with a sculpted body is sitting half-naked and curled over his own knees. His eyes are closed, and his head is down. He looks tired and scared.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.Download the story, read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.__________Genre: contemporary, thriller. Tags: medical personnel; military men; first time; hurt/comfort; slow burn; unresolved sexual tensionWarnings: descriptions of post-violent-attack first aid and medical care; non-graphic discussions of off-screen sexual assault; gun violence (non-sexual). Word count: 70,085

    Between his failing career and his failing relationship, Chicago has little left to offer him, so when he inherits his great-aunt's pecan farm in North Carolina, it's the perfect excuse to escape.Nervous about being back in the deep South again, surrounded by small-town homophobia, Gary's certainly not ready to fall in love. Then he meets local farmer, businessman, and fiddle player Chuck Everett, whose family has been contracted to harvest the crop of pecans. Chuck’s the perfect man for Gary... except for being deep in the Southern closet.Life heats up quickly when they start making music together, and though both men have more than their fair share of baggage, neither can walk away from the relationship. If Gary rediscovers his muse and realizes being true to himself means moving past his comfort zone, will going forward mean leaving Chuck behind?

    He and Matt have been together for ten years, and—as the voice of Ecos, the wildly popular anime character—Kyle is treated like a rock star in anime circles. But in an instant, a stroke leaves him blind. When photographer Matt gets the opportunity of a lifetime, Kyle reexamines their relationship, discovers it has been a safety net rather than a true romance, and sets Matt free to pursue his dream. Kyle’s life and career as he knew them are gone, and he must now find the courage and creativity to draft a new plan.After being away for fifteen years, Seth Caplan comes home to Chicago to care for his mother and to partner with a small start-up tech company. He and Kyle meet after Kyle’s collision with a child’s sidewalk toy, and they hit it off. Kyle wants to get back into running, and Seth becomes his guide. As they get to know each other, they start seeing each other beyond their three-times-a-week runs. But Seth’s revelation of the dark reason why he left his career in California sends the relationship into a tailspin and leaves both men running blind.

    What could possibly go wrong? Part of The Real Story Safe Sex Project. http://brenthartinger.com/therealstory/

    It's much, much harder…Greg London isn't afraid of hard work. It's determination and elbow-grease that have helped him rise from his blue-collar beginnings to life as a Ph.D. candidate at a prestigious university, after all. Sure, his single-mindedness doesn't leave a lot of room for a personal life, but that's the price of success in his field. Besides, it's not like the boring nerd ever ends up with the hot guy he's lusting after anyway.Then the gorgeous jock next door propositions him for a night of no-strings sex, and his focus goes right out the window. To all appearances, Marshall Sulkowski has everything—looks, charm and grace. But little does anyone know, his baseball scholarship has left him floundering at a university that should have been way out of his reach, and after his recent outing as bisexual, his dad cut him off. While Marsh's charm may have gotten him into his brilliant housemate's pants, it won't be enough to win him Greg's heart. Greg and Marsh's red-hot affair helps each of them get a little bit of what they need to stay afloat. But as the end of the semester approaches and the pressure rises, what they need starts to shift. They'll each have to push past their own insecurities to ask for what they really want: love, and someone who accepts them for exactly who they are.