Teaming up with broody photographer, Mark, promises other perks. A ten year relationship with high school sweetheart, Eli, no longer offers Tristan the excitement he craves. Mark made his intentions clear and Tristan is close to giving in to his advances.One morning at ‘The Gallows’ leaves Tristan reeling. He wasn’t prepared for the hell he witnessed and certainly wasn’t prepared to meet Zane. Disarmed by Zane’s angelic manner, Tristan can’t believe anyone would stand him up. He soon realises the tardy boyfriend only exists in Zane’s mind and the beautiful young man is not a visitor to The Gallows but a patient.Eli walks out and Tristan’s life falls apart. A decision to meet with Mark almost ends in tragedy and Tristan finds solace in Zane’s company. Before long Zane’s delusions begin terrorising him again. While Tristan fights to save his own sanity and get Eli back, he knows someone must fight for Zane’s right to love a man no one else can see. A man who scares away violent hallucinations, takes away Zane’s fear, keeps him safe, and is trapped inside a stone statue.

    Well, maybe not literally, but even when he’s lost everything else in his life, he’s always had her. But now her place in his heart has been unexpectedly challenged. Her new driver, Ryan Saunders, is the embodiment of all Sam’s fantasies.Ryan has written off Sam as just another geeky trainspotter—until the moment Ryan sees him without his usual shapeless hoodie, and realizes that for a nerd, Sam’s pretty built.When Ryan overlooks Sam’s awkwardness long enough to suggest a hook-up, Sam seizes the opportunity—and Ryan—with both very eager hands. Finding common ground in their shared love of Bess, their time together is better than Sam ever dared dream.But there’s a reason Ryan never talks about his past. And when Ryan's job is threatened, Sam’s well-meaning intervention puts both Ryan and Bess in deadly danger.Product Warnings:Contains train geekery, bed-hogging, a hero with no experience and another with plenty to spare, and a spider called Mabel.

    He even has a pair with more paint splatters than metal. After his family’s rejection and abuse from a man he thought loved him, James only just gets through the day by painting. He lives in constant fear that he’s not worthy of anything, let alone love.As CEO of his company, Carrington Enterprises, Seth Burns is a take-charge kind of guy, and he is instantly smitten by the artist helping with his newest project. When he witnesses James suffer a panic attack, a protective instinct he never knew he had kicks in. He truly believes nothing is unobtainable—including James—if he’s willing to put in the time and effort.James is shy and confused by Seth’s interest in him as a person. With Seth’s support, can he work through his fears to finally find the true love he deserves, or will someone finally land the crushing blow he won’t survive?

    With those words, two men began a journey of love and invited us to ride along. TJ and Eric have shared so much with us: their wonderful books, their smiles, their humor, their lives, and their inspiring devotion to each other. In December of 2013, their journey took a detour when Eric was taken to the emergency room. He survived the surgery to remove a cavernous hemangioma from his brain stem, but the challenges TJ and Eric face are far from over.The authors in this anthology donated their talent as a way to support Eric's continued recovery, to help bring strength to TJ, and to show both of them just how much love surrounds them. Grand Adventures is a diverse range of stories about the journey of love. We’re going on some grand adventures for a great cause. Thank you for joining us.One hundred percent of the income from this volume goes directly to TJ and Eric.Foreword by S.A. McAuleyAn Unexpected Thing by John AmoryThe Twinkie Ignition by J.E. BirkWhen Friendship Becomes More by Sophie BonasteIsle of Waiting by Sue BrownThe Jogger by KC BurnHolding Court by Cardeno C.For Dear Life by Mary CalmesUnder the Full Moon by Ellis CarringtonStripped by Shae Connor (2nd Edition)That Place Across the Hall by C.C. DadoMistaken MD by Phoenix EmrysCops and Comix by Rhys FordLast First Kiss by LE FranksTomorrow by John GoodeFrom Fantasy to Friends by CR GuilianoWitness Protected by Dawn Kimberly JohnsonWater Under the Bridge by Mia KerickA Gentle Shove of Human Kindness by Amy LaneAir (Roads #1.75 million) by Garrett LeighAn Atheist and a Yoga Instructor Walk into a Bar by Rowan McAllisterStalking 101 by Moria McCainSimple Desires by Tempeste O'RileyObject of Care by Zahra OwensKid Confusion by Madison ParkerFall Train by Jaime SammsThe Exhibition by Andrea SpeedWhat You Will by TinneanPrologue by Brandon Witt

    Tom’s cheerful friendship is the best thing that’s ever happened to Hilary and he’s perfectly content with that until, to his astonishment and confusion, it seems that Tom’s affection for him is beginning to grow into something more … something he feels he probably shouldn’t allow.

    I was injured in my last deployment to Afghanistan and lost my leg. My partner of ten years left when I needed him the most, and he took my beloved dog along with him. After months of depression, denial, and a stint in the hospital because of alcohol poisoning, my brother finally insisted I see a therapist to get the help I needed. Little did I know that my luck was about to change the moment I stepped into that office.Photo Description: A handsome, athletic young man working out in a gymnasium, and supporting himself on a pair of hand rings. His right leg is missing from the knee down, replaced with a skeletal prosthesis. His expression is calm and thoughtful, as though he is completely focused on his workout. His chest is bare, and displays an array of colourful tattoos.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. 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.

    He has one plan for the crumbling facility: unload it as fast as possible. But two months on the market, and he's still mucking stalls and dreaming of his old life back in San Francisco.It doesn't help that he seems to have misplaced a horse. Not just any horse—Tux, a million-dollar Warmblood who, despite lacking opposable thumbs, has an Olympic medal to its name. So does its Brazilian trainer, Estevan Souza, a man whose darkly sexual, smoldering glances almost make Paul forget his horse phobia.Intriguing as Paul finds Estevan, distractions are piling up. The boarders are picky. The arena roof is leaking. His drunken cousin is wreaking havoc. Tux's owners are threatening to sue. On top of that, a bucket of blood points to possible murder.Suddenly, Estevan's glances are looking more suspicious than sinful. And, if Paul can't come up with a plan to save Tux, he could lose not only his chance with Estevan, but his life.

    But after a few years in the business, he grows tired of sleeping with nameless strangers. After getting smacked around by someone he thought cared about him, Mickey decides to quit the business, take his nest egg, and leave town. He just doesn't expect the huge earthquake that hits the city.When his neighbor and adopted grandmother, Ms. Dixie, is stuck in the rubble of what used to be their apartment building, Mickey knows he needs help to rescue her. He flags down a group of bikers trying to get out of the city before the aftermath chaos hits. Mickey tries to make a deal with the lead biker to save Ms. Dixie. He's disappointed when Vinnie agrees to take the deal out in trade rather than cold hard cash, but he agrees.Mickey will do anything to save Ms. Dixie, even let the sexiest biker he has ever seen have him. Hell, he might even enjoy it.

    He holds it together, taking comfort in the fact that the man he has loved since childhood, his partner, Clark Lehman, is on his way. But when Clark finally arrives, Noah is horrified to discover that he doesn’t remember anything from the past three years, and he simply can’t understand why. It will take some painful confrontations if Noah’s going to figure out why he’s lost all memories of his recent past... and secure the future he’s dreamed of having with Clark.

    Between his severe Learning Disabilities, ADHD and past trauma, every day is a struggle. Three years ago, Aaron's world got a whole lot brighter thanks to his new best friend, Ryan Foster and his family. The Fosters have taken him into the fold. That is, everyone except for Ryan's Uncle TJ. When Aaron and TJ meet, sparks fly. TJ, 31, can't stand his nephew's flamboyant, in your face, blue-haired, rainbow loving, best friend. He knows he shouldn't be so judgmental but after spending five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, his patience is buried under a mountain of guilt and loss. TJ's animosity toward Aaron always stresses Aaron out going home to the Foster's for the holidays but they are the only family he has. He just needs to put up with TJ. He can do that, right? When something happens that neither one wants to acknowledge, it may just be the catalyst needed for the sparks to explode. What happens when TJ lets himself see the real Aaron? And, can Aaron let TJ past his defenses, when he's barely holding on. ~ 33,000 words – gay romance, heat level low.

    The Faradays have supported Alex through his struggles with being bipolar. He loves them as he loves nothing else, but this year, his excitement for the holiday has less to do with the family as a whole and more to do with their youngest son, Everett.Everett is Alex’s best friend and the love of his life, but for years, Alex has been consumed by the idea that he is a burden on the family, and worried that someone as amazing as Everett would never truly want a man constantly on guard against his own mind. But last Christmas, with his career doing well, and his life as stable as it likely will ever be, Alex finally let himself respond to Everett’s open adoration—with one condition. A year without seeing Everett to be sure he can stand on his own without Everett’s ready support. Alex needs to know that he can, for his own sake and for Everett’s, because he has already failed once, and it nearly destroyed them both.There will never be a time when Alex is perfect. But this is as close as it gets, and he is tired of waiting. This Christmas, all he can hope for is that Everett still wants him, and that he can be brave enough to keep his promise.

    One of those promises was to stay in touch and keep seeing each other. But Chad never called, and Jeff remained behind to finish high school. Chad broke Jeff’s heart, but both men suffered. Chad couldn’t forgive himself for being a coward and not standing up to his parents, and Jeff wouldn’t let anyone into his heart again to hurt him. A year after Katrina and ten years after that fateful summer, Chad and Jeff meet again, only this time it’s in the ER of a local hospital. Chad is the attending doctor and Jeff is an assault victim, on the brink of death. Chad is once again swept into the past by the only man he’s ever loved, and like before, Chad makes promises to Jeff—promises he will keep, or else. When Jeff awakes from a coma, he finds the man who broke his heart sitting in his hospital room. Angry, confused and scared, Jeff has no defense against this man. And he also has no one else to care for him, only Chad. After all these years, Jeff’s dream has finally come true, Chad is back in his life. But for how long? And is Jeff willing to open his heart to the man who broke it?

    Sure, he spent five years in a coma only to wake with a right leg that’s practically useless and no memories other than his name. But now he’s under the care of sassy southern surrogate mother, Chloe Devereaux, spending his days painting and healing. Giordan wants for nothing at all… until he looks out the window one morning and sees Chloe's gorgeous son, Shane, standing there. Something very familiar stirs in Giordan. When he sketches, Giordan is able to go into an “art trance” where pieces of disjointed memory come back to him without time or place. More and more of these flashes are of Shane Devereaux and the intense, intimate experiences they shared together. Even though Shane keeps his distance now, Giordan is convinced his flashes are real. But he doesn’t have the whole story. Giordan is determined to fill in his memory blanks and convince Shane his feelings are genuine.

    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

    And when he realizes he has to follow through and actually bring someone, he's left with only one option.Hire a stranger.He's expecting the weekend to be a disaster, he's expecting everyone to see through him, he's expecting them all to know the truth- that he could never get someone as gorgeous as that to fall for a person like him.What he isn't expecting is Archer, the charming man who can play the part of astrophysicist with an endless love for the wonders of space, and gentle words that could sweep anyone off their feet.Even Julian, who vowed never to let another man close to his heart, ever again.It would be a romance made in the heavens....if only Archer wasn't keeping a secret of his own.The Edge Of Heaven is a stand alone romance with no cheating and a happily ever after.