Stephen and Crane have finally got away on their long-awaited Christmas break, along with Crane’s henchman Merrick and Jenny Saint. A promised gift is made, and a request unexpectedly and magically fulfilled…This story comes after Flight of Magpies and is not a standalone read. Download now in any format from Smashwords.__________Word count: 6,280

    At twenty-two we bought a house together. At twenty-six we got a bigger house, a white picket fence and a golden retriever. The stuff dreams are made of right? At thirty-one, he comes home and says “I’m just not feeling it anymore,” then he’s gone… I’ve been replaced. Just. Like. That.I thought I knew what a soul mate is; man did I have no idea.Two years later, I found out.I met him at a concert; he approached me like he’s been waiting his life for me. Little did I know at the time, that was exactly the case. It was a while before I learned that this guy, that I am falling fast for, is a dragon shifter and not only are soul mates real, but he only gets one. And it’s me.Photo Description: A Joe Phillips illustration of two men, one sitting up, one with his head in the other’s lap, asleep against a graffitied wall, with a skateboard beside them. The man sitting up has his fingers in the other man’s hair, as if he’s fallen asleep midcaress. Both are shirtless and tattooed— one with obvious dragon markings.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.

    Victims of murder, suicide, kidnapping, accidents, and rape; August can find them all, usually dead, but sometimes still alive. Nine years later finds August volunteering his services to the police. He's still smarting from the loss of his long-time love Dante, who cheated on him with his best friend, and harbors a deep crush on the incredibly handsome, and oh-so-straight, Detective Luke Williams. But there are bigger concerns on August's mind: a serial killer is loose in the city, one whose victims are a little too much like him for comfort. When August finds a living victim who may be one of the serial killer's, he's drawn even deeper into the case. Will he make it out alive, or will he soon be the one in need of finding?

     Betrayed by first his body and then his girlfriend, Liam O’Reilly, assistant coach of the Seattle Thunder, is not having a very merry Christmas. So when a smoking hot hockey player in a Santa suit offers himself up like a present begging to be opened? Well, it’s a freaking Christmas miracle. If only the man in question wasn’t hockey’s own bad boy, Joey ‘the Looch’ Luciano, his best friend’s little brother and the same kid who used to trail behind Liam like a loud, mouthy shadow. Whatever. Wrong as it might seem, a one-time hookup with Joey is exactly what he needs to make the yuletide gay. By tomorrow, he’ll be back in Seattle, Joey will be in New York, and his troubles will be miles away. But as Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day, Joey weaves his way past all Liam’s defenses, and Liam starts to see the sensitive, caring man behind the cocky smirk. When the last present is opened and the Christmas lights go dark, will Joey and Liam's night together be just another Christmas memory or can the holiday magic they made survive the pressures of the real world? Boy Toys is a heart-warming Christmas story featuring the inappropriate use of a Santa suit, sibling bribery, and ninety separate instances of the f-word.

    His enhanced senses can track human blood in or out of a body, but it doesn’t usually smell like oranges, honey, and temptation. And it’s not usually coursing through the veins of a beautiful back-alley rentboy. That should make it easier, right? Pay, bite and be on his way.While prostitution isn’t Laurie’s dream job, someone has to take care of his sister and her kids. But being a blood donor to a tall, dark and brooding vamp isn’t part of his career plan. Until he agrees…and it’s far more pleasurable than he could have imagined.Nurturing isn't in Victor’s wheelhouse, yet he finds himself tucking the all-too-tempting boy into bed. And feeling things he shouldn’t be. When Laurie's attacked, it's almost a relief: breaking necks is way more Victor’s style and he’s all-too-happy to kill. But Laurie being kidnapped wasn't part of anyone’s plan. Now Victor's determined to save Laurie at any cost. Can he bring them both out alive, or will they die before they’ve even shared their first kiss?This book is set in the world of the Mismatched Mates series, but it stands alone. However, look for cameos of your favorite characters from the other books in the series.