But the pressure of being an out trans man in the workplace quickly sucks the joy out of things, as does Seth, the humorless campaign strategist who watches his every move.Soon, the only upside to the job is that Seth has a painful crush on their painfully straight boss, and Kieran has a front row seat to the drama. But when Seth proves to be as respectful and supportive as he is prickly, Kieran develops an awkward crush of his own—one which Seth is far too prim and proper to ever reciprocate.

    Decades later, when Eliza Hamilton collected his soldiers' stories, she discovered that while the war was won at Yorktown, the battle for love took place on many fronts...PROMISED LAND by Rose LernerDonning men's clothing, Rachel left her life behind to fight the British as Corporal Ezra Jacobs--but life catches up with a vengeance when she arrests an old love as a Loyalist spy.At first she thinks Nathan Mendelson hasn't changed one bit: he's annoying, he talks too much, he sticks his handsome nose where it doesn't belong, and he's self-righteously indignant just because Rachel might have faked her own death a little. She'll be lucky if he doesn't spill her secret to the entire Continental Army.Then Nathan shares a secret of his own, one that changes everything...THE PURSUIT OF... by Courtney MilanWhat do a Black American soldier, invalided out at Yorktown, and a British officer who deserted his post have in common? Quite a bit, actually.* They attempted to kill each other the first time they met.* They're liable to try again at some point in the five-hundred mile journey that they're inexplicably sharing.* They are not falling in love with each other.* They are not falling in love with each other.* They are.... Oh, no.THAT COULD BE ENOUGH by Alyssa ColeMercy Alston knows the best thing to do with pesky feelings like "love" and "hope": avoid them at all cost. Serving as a maid to Eliza Hamilton, and an assistant in the woman's stubborn desire to preserve her late husband's legacy, has driven that point home for Mercy—as have her own previous heartbreaks.When Andromeda Stiel shows up at Hamilton Grange for an interview in her grandfather's stead, Mercy's resolution to live a quiet, pain-free life is tested by the beautiful, flirtatious, and entirely overwhelming dressmaker.Andromeda has staid Mercy reconsidering her worldview, but neither is prepared for love—or for what happens when it's not enough.

    Desperate to win back his father’s approval, the boy hatches a plan involving his father’s love of slasher films. If the boy can become a real-life slasher right out of the movies, it just might be an opportunity to make his father proud again, no matter what the cost.In Iain Rob Wright’s “The Reckoning,” the year is 2035 and people live inside their individual worlds. Amelie’s ‘pod’ is a marvel of tech-centric existence, taking care of her every need. But when a serial killer that the press have named ’The Reckoning’ comes calling for Amelie, her futuristic living space turns deadly.In William Malmborg's "Billy's Blade," a budding serial killer bites off more than he can chew when he tries to stab Stacy Collins to death on the Prairie Path. A ruthless investigative journalist, Stacy goes on the offensive, goading the killer with unflattering articles, all in hopes of sparking a second encounter. Will Billy and Stacy meet again?Jeff Strand’s “Twentieth Anniversary Screening” recounts the grisly events surrounding the terrible slasher flick THE ROOFER, remembered only because an obsessed fan tried to reenact the murders as they played out on the screen. When the same theater shows the film twenty years later, will the warnings that this is a really, really bad idea be justified?

    WARNING: Men making love, curse words and violence. Shape shifter Killian Tenebris has spent most of his life trapped in a lab as the subject of experimentation. When he escapes, he sets out to live life without chains - and to bring down the monsters who held him captive. What he finds is a group of men hunting the same targets, men who will do anything - kill anyone - to keep each other safe. Killian never learned human behavior, so trusting and understanding his new friends is difficult. He is certain their concern for each other weakens them, and will be their downfall. Until he meets Stone Marinos, the beautiful child of Apollo. Suddenly, staying safe and being alone begin to lose appeal. As Killian struggles with the emotions Stone evokes, his job to keep the young man safe is increasingly difficult. Stone Marinos is adjusting to his life as a demigod and taking care of his beloved new puppy. When emotionally stunted Killian Tenebris is thrown into his orbit, sensitive Stone can't help but feel a little sorry for the shape shifter. Until Killian opens his mouth and offends him every time they talk. One short dance changes everything, and Stone's feelings for the sexy man grow. As his heart burns for Killian, Stone learns that things aren't always what they seem. And some truths hurt a lot more than others. STRANGE ADDICTION Brock Holloway has it all -- incredible good looks, money, friends, a bitchin' car and a promising football career. At least, that's what other people see. Inside, though, Brock is fighting for something he knows he will never have: Unconditional love. As the child of Aphrodite, he is worshiped, admired, wanted - but never loved. Zack Duran is a wolverine shifter -- and not a nice guy. Like, seriously NOT a nice guy. His shifter side is always in control, often showing him to be heartless and unfeeling. When Zack is assigned to protect Brock Holloway, he can't believe his crappy luck. As his tactless wolverine tendencies become even more pronounced, his rudeness reaches new heights -- something his friends didn't even think was possible. Eventually, Zack has to battle his shifter personality and his genuine feelings for the beautiful football player. A near tragedy shakes him to his core, and Zack can no longer fight the deep feelings he has for Brock. But giving in to his emotions may come at too high a price. A startling secret charges Brock with the nearly impossible task of taming Zack's beast. Is he up to the challenge? Can Zack give him what he needs? And with danger working overtime, can they finally be together as they were intended?

    Short story from "If it bleeds".

    She's also slowly losing her mind. Her husband convinces her to take a "momcation," three days at a sunny resort with nothing to do but sleep late, sip margaritas, and get work on her tan.It's a great plan, but it doesn't take into account Damon. Handsome, funny, and sarcastic he has an uncanny ability to get under Heather's skin, an ability that turns into the basis for an unlikely friendship and, maybe, just maybe, a whole lot more.

    His idea of the perfect partner, like so many other people’s, is a tall, dark, and handsome man. Preferably alive and breathing. Surely that’s not asking too much? Then an uninvited guest—a ghost, of all things—forces Alex to question what he’s always looked for in a lover and his definition of what makes a person so beautiful.

    Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

    Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he shares with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world.

    But Jordan was lucky. He met Owen Nelson in the second grade, and they’ve been BFFs ever since. Owen is a big, beautiful blond and their school’s champion wrestler. No one messes with Owen, or with anyone close to him, and he bucks popular opinion by keeping Jordan as his wingman even after Jordan comes out at school.Their friendship survives, but Jordan’s worst enemy may be himself: he can’t seem to help the fact that he is head-over-heels in love with a hopeless case—his straight friend, Owen. Owen won’t let anything take Jordan’s friendship away, but he never counted on Jordan running off to find a life of his own. Owen will have to face the nature of their relationship if he’s to win Jordan back.

    ’𝙏𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨… 𝘼 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙚 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 , 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 , 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.

    Sixty Five Hours to get along. Sixty Five Hours to not kill each other. Sixty Five Hours to fall in love.** First published in 2012. No additional content has been added.

    It takes place between the events of Stormhaven and Necropolis. When a child goes missing in Widdershins, ex-Pinkerton detective Griffin Flaherty fears sinister forces are at work in the town. Together, he and his lover Percival Endicott Whyborne must track down the child and put an end to a murderous plot, before any more young souls are lost.

    His life is work and school, leaving him too busy to make friends. Then one day, fetching his mail from his school post box, Kaeck finds a letter from a secret admirer. The letters and subsequent gifts do much to brighten Kaeck’s lonely days, but even as he longs to know the identity of his admirer, he finds his own admiration growing for fellow student Bellamy... who in turn is enamored of someone else entirely.

    Until a scout for another team swoops in to make one of them an offer that might complicate the life they've built together.Previously published in Christmas in the City