Forced to walk away from a Division I scholarship to take care of his family, Garrett was sure he'd never play football again. When an offer comes in from the ESC Mavericks--a school near his hometown--it seems like a dream come true. There's only one catch: he's expected to single-handedly save the worst team in the state.Diego Ruiz has known his whole life that the deck is stacked against him. The harder he tries to fight it, the more it hurts when it knocks him back down. With a lifetime of disappointment to back him up, he's stopped trying for anything more than mediocrity, both on and off the football field. If not for a promise he'd made years ago, he'd probably just be some nobody in a nowhere job.So when Coach Ladner brings in some D1 "hero" to save the team, Diego is determined to show him exactly where hard work and perseverance get you--absolutely nowhere. Despite his best efforts, Garrett's unwavering optimism starts to get under Diego's skin. Caught on the verge of giving in, he relies on the one thing that's never failed him: his ability to get curious straight boys into bed.As the friction between them gives way to passion, the stakes of their former rivalry increase tenfold. With both men's hearts--and a state title--on the line, there's no time for playing games. But when Diego's past comes back to remind him that everything eventually goes to hell, Garrett will have to convince him that some things are worth fighting for.Roughing the Passer is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

    They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building. Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave. A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

    Too bad distractions, like the hot little convertible he has his eye on, cost megabucks. And Oliver is flat broke. Renting the spare bedroom in his rundown beachfront cottage is his only option to pick up the cash he needs--a risky proposition, as Oliver is the polar opposite of a people-person. When he responds to a bizarre ad in the Waterfront Gazette seeking summer housing, he gets more than he bargained for. But Oliver can cope... After all, how much harm can a single quirky tenant do to his tightly guarded life in three short months?Where Oliver is a loner by design, urban cowboy Bodie is a loner by necessity. A family dispute long ago dropkicked him onto the path of a lifelong wanderer. This changes when Bodie moves into the tiny beachfront cottage and starts working the door at Oliver's bar.Despite Oliver and Bodie's nearly paralyzing instinct to avoid commitment, they fall into a wary romance. And to their surprise, life as a couple is sweetly satisfying; that is, until their jealous boss devises a cruel plan to destroy the tentative bond they've built. True to form, Bodie hits the road, leaving Oliver to lick his wounds alone.Can these wounded souls defy their urge to flee and fight for love?**Trigger Warning: discussion of childhood sexual molestation of adult character, graphic physical violence, off-page coerced sexual relationship

    Two books. One story of love. Side A tells the story from the outsider's perspective.The odds were stacked against Max Rosser when he was born sixteen years ago. A month before his birth, his father was put in jail for breaking parole, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. His single mother was an alcoholic, struggling to keep her job and her home. Already, she could barely take care of eight-year-old Will and twelve-year-old Jon.Max's older brothers hid their mother’s disease from him as best as they could, and they made sure Max had everything he needed to be a normal, well-adjusted kid, despite the fact that they lived at or below the poverty line for much of his childhood. When his oldest brother became engaged to Livvy Holland, the daughter of the richest man in the state, Max befriended her little brother, Trey, and the two remained best friends even though their home lives couldn’t be more different.Through Trey, Max made more friends, including star athlete Callen McNare. Over the years, the boys played team sports, went on group dates, and worked summer jobs together. They became close; closer than anyone would have guessed. Before a real relationship could even begin, Max and Callen were forced apart when their secret was discovered. In LOVE LIKE WE DO - SIDE A, family and friends reevaluate their associations with the boys. Callen’s parents are in denial. Trey feels betrayed by his two closest buddies and wonders how their friendship will change. Jon struggles to keep his family together, despite his mother’s devout beliefs and his brother Will’s immoral ways. Interactions with the people around them could bring enlightenment and understanding, or they could keep Max and Callen apart while doing irreparable damage to their families.This is Trey and Jon's side of the story.

    Number Nine had sent a string of morning-afters through the doors of Sugar to caffeinate before making their walk of shame. The details? rarely spared. Elliot knew that Number Nine apparently didn't have a type, except male, and that he always sent them away wanting more. Sworn off a certain type of man and wondering if there was anyone at all out there who would think he was enough, unlucky in love Elliot has put all his energy into Sugar since the demise of his last relationship. On his morning delivery run, he stumbles across a very naughty dachshund running through the apartment building corridor - and a very naked man chasing her. If Elliot had ever been skeptical about love at first sight - this moment might have changed it. Except that the charmingly handsome naked dude happens to live in apartment number nine. Ken Donohugh made the cross-country move to San Fransico after his divorce was final. It was time for a fresh start, a new job, and new friends. Even if they only ever made it through a night in the sack. Ken was done with real love. He'd been there, done that, and had his life completely turned upside down in the process. Now was his time to do what he liked and what exactly that was, he was letting himself take time to figure out. When a handsome long-haired sweetheart helps him wrangle his naughty dog, Penny, he knows exactly who his next conquest will be. Except that much younger Elliot owns the bakery below his apartment and he can't give up the delicious sweet treats he bakes. He decides a friendship will be enough - until it isn't. With two men who want such different things in love, Elliot and Ken must navigate what their feelings mean. Can Elliot learn to love a little less? And will Ken ever be able to tame his ferocious sweet tooth?

    Reclusive comic book artist Trip Spector spends his life doodling super-square, straitlaced superheroes, hiding from his fans, and crushing on his unattainable boss until he meets the dork of his dreams. Silas Goolsby is a rowdy FX makeup creator with a loveless love life and a secret streak of geek who yearns for unlikely rescues and a truly creative partnership.Against their better judgment, they fall victim to chemistry, and what starts as infatuation quickly grows tender and terrifying. With Silas’s help, Trip gambles his heart and his art on a rotten plan: sketching out Scratch, a "very graphic novel" that will either make his name or wreck his career. But even a smash can't save their world if Trip retreats into his mild-mannered rut, leaving Silas to grapple with betrayal and emotions he can't escape. What will it take for this dynamic duo to discover that heroes never play it safe?

    Laid off at his job and at odds with his ultra-conservative boyfriend, Micah, he's searching for something to fill the empty spots. When he meets Ben Gallagher, a cake decorator, Jamie knows he's found a friend. Taking a chance, Jamie turns to art for his new career, and Ben becomes his muse. He creates an entire show based on the man who is always there for him. The problem with Ben is that he's been hurt by love in the past, and might not be willing to risk his friendship with Jamie for something more. Can Ben get past his fear and see that all that Jamie has to offer before it's too late?

    The possible reunion entices Paul into considering a dinner invitation, but his hopes are dashed when he learns Mick is in a loving relationship with Spanish Jai alai player Tono Garat. Paul still accepts the invitation, and Mick asks Paul to help Tono through the final revision of a love story he's written, inspired by his affair with Mick. When Paul refuses, Mick reveals he's been diagnosed with a fatal disease, and the novel is Tono's only means of coping with the eventual outcome. Paul and Tono resent each other, but they can't deny the strong sexual attraction between them. Can the past blend with the present to ease the way for Mick's inevitable future? Will they overcome their differences to provide the loving support necessary to sustain the man they love or will their collision destroy Mick's final days?"

    But when master negotiator Mac shows up to make a deal with the owner, he comes face-to-face with quirky, colorful Hailey—unexpectedly good-humored about Mac’s attempted eviction and, also unexpectedly, a hot guy. Hailey won’t give up his lease, no matter how much money Mac offers. When it comes to consummating their mutual attraction, though, he’s a lot more flexible. Soon Mac has as hard a time prying himself out of Hailey’s bed as he does prying Hailey out of the building. But Hailey doubts Mac’s plans serve Ball’s End’s best interests, and he insists Mac give him a chance to prove his case. If they’re going to build a happy ever after, one of them will have to be remade….

    His twin—Aidan’s other half, Nadia—died tragically young, leaving him with nothing to get him through his days but his job at the prestigious Grand Heights Luxury Apartments and the flowers he lays upon her grave. When Aidan is assaulted on the job by a tenant, it’s the graveyard he turns to for strength and solace.Patrick loves being assistant groundskeeper at the sprawling cemetery where he tends graves and offers a bit of comfort to mourners. When he sees a sad young man lingering over an old grave, his curiosity is strangely piqued for reasons he doesn’t understand. He’s never done this—struck up a friendship with a mourner. But soon that friendship blossoms into a romance.It’s not going to be easy for the pair. Aidan is so damaged, like petals crushed in an angry fist, and even with Patrick’s warm heart and Irish charm, it might not be enough to bring him back from the edge.