All can hear the Strains…but not everyone can use them equally.Leilani is Common, able to do only the most mundane “beggar magic,” but when she befriends the gifted Highmost girl, Zebedy, she is swept into the gilded world of the upper class, who can access the magic’s full potential. Behind the polished, academic façade of the Highmost manors, the girls run headlong into danger. An unknown force is consuming the Strains, leaving heartrending silence behind. Desperate to save their beloved Strains, Leilani and Zebedy soon realize that solving the mystery may cost them their friendship, or even their lives.

    A scandalous widow rescues the man of her dreams - but his secrets could destroy their love in Nicola Davidson's Joy to the Earl. A masquerade ball was no place to be reckless with your innocence, and yet one scorching look at the masked highwayman urges Miss Partridge to do just that in Mistletoe and the Marquess by Wendy Vella. In Lord Misrule by Donna Cummings, a young widow chooses a handsome rogue to be her first lover, but his regrets from a past Christmas may end their affair before it even commences. A blue-stocking becomes a courtesan to escape a murderer in The Glittering Prize, an intrigue-filled romance by Beverley Oakley about finding love where it’s least expected.This is an all-new collection of stand-alone complete works.

    

    Coyote is one of North America’s most beguiling storytellers and the author of three story collections, including Loose End, which was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Award for Fiction in 2006. Bow Grip, Coyote’s first novel, is a breathtaking story about love and loneliness; in it, a good-hearted, small-town mechanic struggles to deal with a wife who has left him for another woman until a used cello and an acquaintance’s suicide attempt compel him to make some changes in his life. With quiet authority, Bow Grip is about one man’s true rite of passage—trying to keep the ghosts of personal history at bay with a heart that’s as big as the endless prairie sky.

    But what if there’s a way for older people to regain their youth? To stay a step ahead of the grim reaper? Turning 40 was the last straw for me. It’s practically 60 in gay years and I wasn’t ready for dentures yet, so I came to Youthology — a program that injects clients with blood transfusions from young, fit and healthy donors. I chose Nick. Handsome. Masculine. And more importantly, young. I thought I hit the lottery, until my life started to change for the worst. Not even the top medical experts can explain what happened to me. From the moment Nick’s blood flooded into my veins, I stopped being me, and I became something new; something dangerous and deadly. I became my donor. His obsessions are mine now. His darkest desires, his dreams, his needs, and nightmares are all a part of me, and I don’t want to let them go. I embrace them and the beautiful boy who haunts both of our dreams. My blood pact was sealed the moment I entered Youthology. I never thought I’d become a killer. This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance. Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.

    With Dylan working in London, and Angelo recovering from chronic illness in Cornwall, they rarely spend more than few nights under the same sky. Dylan is struggling. Being apart from Angelo is killing him, and he’s at the end of his rope. Angelo can’t live in London anymore, but can Dylan give up his whole life and move to a place that often feels like the end of the world? As the end of a tough year approaches, they reach a crossroads. Dylan returns to Cornwall for Christmas and Angelo can’t imagine watching him leave again. Can the love that surrounds them on Whisper Farm show them the way home?

    But only two dragons remain, and unless the people of the underwater caverns can find a true Merramaid to act as a Between, evil will prevail in the watery realm.

    Spurned by his wife at home and by superiors at work, Earl Summerfield hunkers down in his cramped San Francisco apartment and keeps a diary that is a scratched record of a world going to pieces. The words he overhears, the words he wants to say, swim in his head, turning into fantasies of ambition, love, and retribution. He is sorry for himself. He is angry at everyone. He takes to going out at night, slipping into other people's houses. He is looking for something, and he fixes on one woman.

    Partner in a thriving veterinarian clinic with his best friend Stacey, he has a great dog, a favorite Chinese take-out place and a great DVD collection. The only thing he doesn't have is a special someone to share his life with. When Ben has a number of poisoned animals come through his clinic, he call in the police, suspecting that these aren't random tragedies, but deliberate killings. Enter Constable Tim Geary. Dog and cat poisonings are fairly low on the priority list, but Tim decides to look into them. The attraction between Tim and Ben is immediate and soon Chinese food and more is on the menu. Life has a way of trying to keep the boys apart, though. Can they find a way to overcome their busy lives and be together?

    Watching Mitchell when he comes in for ice cream awakens his powers in unexpected ways. A threat from the past draws them together to find unexpected allies and new friends. Angels has to learn to control his powers without scaring Mitchell away. Mitchell finds the courage to let go and embrace the chaos that Angels bringss to his life.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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. Dear Author,This is me, causing trouble again. I don’t know what happened. One moment I was having a conversation with my roomie and the next thing I knew, the fountain exploded and I’m drenched in stink water. Ugh. Thanks to the hot summer day nobody seemed to mind that I had no idea how to get the water back under control.The thing is, I’m a witch and I suck at magic.I stopped using the little magic I knew since moving into the city about a year ago. Completely. It’s “fun” enough being gay, I didn’t want to be a witch too. I hate keeping secrets and the witchery thing was definitely supposed to be one. Not using my powers had me thinking I could be normal for a change. Tough luck. Since meeting “him” a few weeks ago, all shit went to hell. Every time he comes into the ice-cream shop I work at my magic goes crazy, doing the most embarrassing things!Nothing was meant to happen today! But then I saw him. My pistachio guy–tall, dark, and gorgeous. Always wearing a suit, always ordering pistachio ice-cream. And always giving me those secret smiles. His being around today definitely triggered my sucky magic to go haywire, and causing the fountain to put on a show. Thanks!My lack of witchery knowledge was starting to get me into deeper trouble than I’d ever expected was possible. But I had to find him and… then what?Photo Description: A young man stands in a pool of water in soaking red shorts and pink fluffy earmuffs. Behind him, water splashes out of a broken fountain. His expression shows concern, possibly guilt.This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Escaping a repressive country, he has come to Saratoga Springs to attend university. Jamal’s freedom, however, is an illusion, for even thousands of miles away from his homophobic father, he dares not act on the feelings he has for the local barista. Matt feels like his life has stalled out. His dreams of being an artist are being sucked away by the reality of life, and now he works in a coffee shop and wishes things could be different. When Jamal receives news that a gay friend back home has been hurt in a hate crime, he flees his apartment, oblivious to the rapidly worsening weather. A blizzard strands him at the local coffeeshop, where Matt, the man he’s been pining over for three long years, happens to be working. Helping an elderly neighbor home through the storm is enough to break the ice, but is their growing attraction enough to convince Jamal to break faith with his family back home? As Jamal and Matt struggle to find some common ground, the cultural differences between them work to pull them apart. Torn between his family and his heart, Jamal is faced with a choice: break free of his family’s expectations, or lose his chance to find happiness with Matt.

    Growing up I saw him constantly, and even throughout college he has been part of my life. Why have I not approached him? Well, he’s my older brother’s best friend. And I think he’s been in love with my brother for as long as I’ve been in love with him. Now, on the day of my brother’s wedding to a woman, my love interest will have to stand by my brother and watch him start a life with someone else. How can my brother not see what he’s going to be losing? What can I do to help my crush?Photo Description: Two men, both dressed in tuxedos, are standing alone around the back of a church. They are kissing and holding each other close. The taller man has his arms wrapped around the smaller man’s waist, while the smaller man is leaning into the kiss and reaching out for his partner.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    The strangest part? Practically everyone answered, leaving Toth with a hilarious collection of outlandish correspondence unmatched in the history of American letters. The Lazlo Letters contains nearly 100 notes to public figures, including then-President Nixon, Vice President Ford ("I've been Vice President of a lot of organizations myself, so I know how you feel."), Bebe Rebozo, Lester Maddox, Earl Butz, and America's top business leaders. The replies, says the author, "classic examples of American politeness."In an on-going correspondence with the White House, Toth suggests everything from ridiculously corny jokes for the President to use, to a campaign song sung to the tune of "Tea for Two." He asks the president of a bubble bath company just how to use the product, as the packaging instructions specifically state to "keep dry." "No matter how absurd my letter was, no matter how much I ranted and raved, they always answered," reports the author. "Many of these replies are beautiful examples of pure public relations nonsense." One is not: columnist James Kilpatrick has a lone sentiment for Toth-"Nuts to You!" 247,000 copies in print.

    Besides the ugly paper hearts and expensive flowers, it’s just a day like any other; a day I want to spend alone. If I change my mind, I’ll go down to my favorite bar, knock back a few beers, and see if I can find a man interested in a quick romp. Sounds like a winning plan to me, but my brother has other ideas. He signs me up for a speed dating event downtown without my knowledge and sets into action the sweetest, funniest, most life-changing night imaginable. **This is a no-angst, feel good quick read with insta-love vibes. Laugh along with James and Liam through their night of hilarious misadventures and be on the lookout for sweet moments, a splash of heat, and a very happy HEA.

    Their friendship seems like a dream come true—or perhaps just a dream, because no one else can see or hear James. Aaron stubbornly clings to his new friend, however, even when the friendship makes him an object of scorn and ridicule. No matter the years that pass, or the challenges they face, Aaron refuses to give up on his best friend—but life might just find a way to take James from him anyway.