He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again. Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw. Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.

    One is a family man, works in a nice office, drives an expensive car, and is content to be content. The other one is an antisocial car mechanic with a short fuse.Some things don’t change. Others definitely do.After surviving a five-months long kidnapping together, they struggle to return to normalcy, all while realizing that they're more drawn to each other than they ever could've imagined."I know I'm not normal, but I'm not fucking stupid.""Define normal," Austin countered quietly, meeting Cam in the doorway. "And for not being normal, you're the only person in the world who makes sense right now. What does that say about me?"Warning: This story contains violence and scenes of an explicit, erotic nature between two men and is intended for adults, 18+.

    Growing up together, they shared everything. By the age of fourteen they were more than best friends – they were in love. They dreamt of their future, of success, marriage…happiness. They were going to grow old by each other’s side.But… “Kids are stupid.”When tragic circumstances forced them apart, Dylan discovered that life wasn’t the fairytale he dreamed of; it was dark, difficult, saturated with pain and shame. Life wasn’t meant to be enjoyed, merely survived, but even that became a challenge.Damaged, worthless, and disgusting, he saw no point to his pitiful existence…Until he came face to face with the boy he used to love.Successful, honourable, and happy, Cameron had achieved the future they planned. He was good, positive, popular…everything Dylan would never be. What would happen if Dylan let him back into his world? Would he destroy Cameron too? Would his poison push him away like everyone else?“Everybody leaves.” “They leave or they die.”But what if…what if Cameron didn’t?Counting Daisies is book one in The Counting Series, but can be read as a standalone novel.(M/M romance. Not suitable for readers under 18 years of age due to language and sexual content. ***Please note*** This book contains scenes and descriptions of intravenous drug use which may be uncomfortable for some readers.)

    He isn’t out, but that hasn’t stopped the popular gang at school from tormenting him for being gay. Three weeks before Christmas, in a desperate attempt to shake his pursuers, Mitch flees into the abandoned community hall, only to discover the building is far from empty; inside he finds a fully stocked library as well as Mr. Nichols, the very welcoming librarian. The library turns into Mitch’s refuge of choice, where he can read books that answer his endless questions, without fear of encountering abuse. His peace of mind is shattered when nineteen-year-old Cian Leavy enters his sanctuary. Cian is the boy who made Mitch realize he’s gay, and he’s more attractive now than he was eighteen months ago, when Mitch literally ran into him. Will Cian unwittingly disrupt Mitch’s life again? Or has the scene been set for a miracle in the library?

    Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

    Being a cab driver means he doesn’t need to read much, and the job has its perks. The pay isn’t bad, the people can be interesting, and having memorized the city streets keeps him from feeling too stupid.When he picks up Caleb, a quiet fare in a nice suit, Jaxon doesn't think anything of it. Then he ends up driving Caleb home the next week too, and the next, and the next. Eventually Caleb tries to communicate—by writing things down. Turns out that Caleb has such a bad stutter he spends most of his time mute.If only Jaxon had an easier time reading what Caleb had to say. But he’s interested in trying, and Caleb seems interested back. They discover that, with a little bit of effort, it isn’t so hard to make themselves understood. Especially when what’s growing between them is definitely worth talking about.

    Oh, and let's not forget—recently dumped. If only my family wasn't expecting to meet my new boyfriend over the holiday break. Enter JD Laurens—a sweet and quiet science major who mostly keeps to himself. When he gathers the courage to come out, poor JD gets abandoned by his only family right in front of me, and now he has nowhere to go for Christmas. But I have a proposition for him: pretend to be my boyfriend for the holidays so I can take him home. It’s a win-win. What could go wrong?

    He’s dropped a lot of weight since his high school days, but he’s still a big guy, and the painful words and bullying follow him. Rejected—again—because of his size, Crowley is starting to think that maybe love just isn’t meant for huskier men. Averell Lang and his twin are so different they might as well not even be related. So when Rell’s brother brings his roommate home to snowy Susset for the holidays, Rell expects the worst—another uptight, pretentious hipster. What he discovers instead is Crowley. Nerdy, fascinating, attractive, Crowley. Rell never expected to look at a man this way, and what he sees in Crowley Fredericks is something he didn’t even know he was looking for. If both men can overcome their hang-ups, they might unwrap more than presents this holiday season.

    A bit of fun in the sun with rugged alpaca farmer, Ryan, could be just what the doctor ordered for Scott—but first he’ll need to get past his over-protective daughter! Stressed out from new motherhood, Katie’s worried her dad’s going to get his heart broken. Free spirit Ryan doesn’t believe in relationships. An ex foster child, he’s learned to move on quickly from hook-ups and cut his emotional losses. But with the island’s limited dating opportunities, he’s taken up knitting to while away the lonely evenings. Ryan’s not planning to waste a minute in getting Scott into his bed—but into his life? They’ve said all along it’s just a holiday fling. When both men realise it could be the start of something more, they’ll need to work hard to counter Scott’s family’s misgivings—not to mention their own. Note: this novella first appeared in the Hot Summer Nights anthology.

    Lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, nail polish? Back in the small town where I grew up, a boy would have never dared to dress like him. When an assignment to create a video news segment from one of our professors places us both in the same group, personalities clash, and what started as fascination on my part turns into instant dislike, which he seems to immediately return. He's smart, quick-thinking, creative…but also snarky, moody, defensive, and basically the complete physical opposite of every guy I've ever been attracted to. And yet, despite the fact that I think he needs an attitude adjustment, and he thinks I'm just a backward country hick, I've quickly come to realize that sometimes the line between love and hate really is paper thin.P.S. An HEA would definitely be preferred to an HFN ending. Photo Description: Two young men stare at each other through a chain-link fence. They are holding hands through it; one has nail polish and lip gloss.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.Read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: first love; college; coming out; gay-for-you; enemies to loversWarnings: noneWord Count: 68,123

    As the sheltered youngest son of a healer, Eiland of Summerton has heard of them all his life, the miserable creatures who share the great sickness brought down by the wrath of the gods. Yet unlike any of the illnesses Eiland's father treats in the village, this one is not passed by touch or cough or poison. It's given by the Cursed Ones. All it takes is three small words: I curse you.It never occurred to Eiland that a Cursed One could be young. Or handsome. Until he meets Charon, a wandering outcast who bears the Curse. One stolen kiss changes everything for Eiland and sends the two young men on a dangerous journey that neither can hope to survive—unless they set aside their differences and give in to forbidden love...

    Grief, guilt, and PTSD have ruled his life since a terrible crime tore his world apart last year, and he’s dreading a holiday visit with the family he simultaneously needs and resents. Then someone from his past shows up and rattles that shaky foundation right out from under him. First a war nearly destroyed Jeremy Kelley, then his family threw him out when he needed them the most. Now he’s barely holding on emotionally. He spends his last dollar to get to Chicago and prays his former best friend won’t leave him out in the cold. Neil and Jeremy spend the holidays with Neil’s family in their hometown of Omaha. They struggle to deal with families, flashbacks… and feelings that haven’t even begun to fade since their last failed attempt at more than friends. As they try to repair their fractured psyches and rebuild damaged bridges, they rely on each other more than ever, but they can’t deny the mutual attraction that’s existed since before they were both emotionally battered and scarred. If they couldn’t make it work back then, how in the world can they pull it off now? This book was previously published and has been lightly revised.

    He never imagined his almost useless talent would ever become a marketable skill, and even worse--the sight of his new boss leaves him breathless. That was the worst, until the first day on the job, he finds himself nearly dying in the arms of his new boss.Tarquin is a storm dragon, and he's been alone for centuries. Fleeing the Great Wars, he sacrificed his old territory and made a new home in Montreal, collecting companies to fill the void left by the loss of his hoard. Running an international company in the magical world means hiring a clairvoyant to protect his assets, and yet there is nothing to protect his heart when Alaric Keening walks into his office.Between trying to keep Alaric alive and trying to find who's out to kill Tarquin, they can't deny the connection that goes far beyond that of a boss and his new employee--but that of a dragon and his treasure.Treasured was previously published as the short story, A Caller From Montreal, in the Heart2Heart Charity Anthology Vol 4. It has been expanded and lightly edited with new content. Word count is 25,000 words.

    A cop who doesn’t believe in ghosts. And one very pissed off poltergeist.What a way to ring in the New Year.Parker Ferro is San Amaro’s top magical private investigator. It helps that he’s the only supernatural investigator in the city. When a client hires him to take care of a nasty ghost infestation, he doesn’t expect to get stuck in the haunted house with an attractive police officer who’s looking to arrest someone.Now Parker just needs to get them both to safety, exorcise the ghost, and solve a mystery, before the hot cop decides to arrest him.A Haunting at Midwinter is a 17,000 word urban fantasy short with a HFN ending.

    It polices relations between the earthly realm and those beyond this world, enforcing immigration laws, the transfers of magical artifacts, and crimes against humanity.The agents who work for the NATO Irregular Affairs Division can’t tell anyone what they do, or how hard they work to keep us safe. It brings a colorful collection of men together:Agent Henry Falk, the undead bum. Agent Keith Curry, former carnivore chef turned vegetarian; Agent Rake, Babylonian demon with a penchant for easy living; and Agent Silas August, uncompromising jerk.Four cities, four mysteries, four times the romance. Is your security clearance high enough to read on?