I live in the City of Keys, a town of gears, keys, locks, and wonder. Our forefathers banished magic long ago, bolted the doors and locked everything up tight to keep people out and the town’s secrets in. Four Lock Lords control what information is left, and everyone else is left struggling to survive.Despite what Thorne, my naïve lover, thinks, I was an orphan, but not a victim. When I walked the streets at the age of twelve, I learned fast where to steal the best food, how to use my daggers, and where to hide my would-be attackers’ bodies. No one suspected me of such violence. No one knew then or now that I have magic inside me.Now, power hungry men intend to release the magic for their own benefit—at the expense of the rest of the city. We will stop them, even if Thorne must battle his own kin, even if I must reveal my hidden talents and the role I seem destined to play.

    Literature is filled with stories of valiant heroes riding into the jaws of danger to slay the beast and rescue the princess. But sometimes, the knight in shining armor is less interested in the maiden in distress than in the dragon he's supposed to slay. Dracones brings together seven stories detailing the power and majesty of a dragon's love.Most of the humans in Fugue in Gold and Fire are unknowingly animals in human form, and when the Vesti Moon rises, the animal forms break free, with no memory of their human lives. Lovers Adri and Dru search for a way to recognize each other during the change, but when Dru's true form turns out to be a dragon, he considers never changing back.Peter Harington aspires to be a Teller of Tales when he submits his fictional dragon manuscript for publication. Tom, the editor assigned to work with Peter, though, finds the worldbuilding a little too real and is determined to learn the truth.When the dragon Daire is wounded, only the Weird Magics of alchemist Cyras can heal him. But when one of the fae is found killed and her blood drained, Daire suspects his savior of illegal experimentation and murder.Then, in Chanson Commencante de Guerre, the ancient dragon Rayvak finds himself strangely drawn to the young dragon shifter Stormy, despite the years of war between the dragons and the dragon shifters. The two must overcome centuries of animosity if they are to find any happiness together.Psychic David and his dragon lover Ferdie are literally Two in the Bush when their camping trip is interrupted by the magical guardians of their forest. They can sense the power of the dragon, but believe that David and Ferdie have it bound and demand that they release it or die!Finding the Rain is the task charged to Buwei, sent with offerings to the Dragon Lord Shenlong in hopes of ending his province' drought, a journey none have ever returned from. But the dragon's temple keeper, Tian, wants Buwei for himself and is willing to defy even the great dragon to keep him.Finally, in Lukos Heat, a mission of revenge sends the dragon Najlah into the mountains and into an unlikely partnership with the wolf shifter Barkus. And the closer they get to their quarry, the more they realize that nothing is as it appears.

    The worrisome fact is Noah knows nothing at all about bakeries, running a small business, or taking care of little old ladies.Nick Moody is the youngest sheriff ever elected in the county, and has a complicated history with Noah, one that he would prefer to leave buried in the past..But when a dead body is found behind the bakery, Noah has to call on the sheriff, his own ingenuity, and a little supernatural help to save the day.Take some doughnuts, a cherry pie, a little fire and brimstone and a magic book, add in a few incantations and some polished toenails and you have a recipe for a prize-winning second chance romance—if the evil demon his grandmother and her friends have conjured up doesn’t ruin everything first.

    But I never dreamed that he would make me feel alive again, either." Caleb Barker is trying. But it's difficult being a widowed single dad. Keeping up with three kids, the house, and his sales job doesn't leave him much time to sleep, let alone even think about moving forward, romantically. Right now, his sole focus needs to be creating a stable home for his kids, and to do that, he needs to get a promotion - and to get a promotion, he's finally ready to admit that he needs some help. "I know I should be careful. He's my boss. But it's so easy to forget that when he touches me." Ethan Collier is ready to escape the city - and more importantly, his string of loser ex-boyfriends. It's time to get his life back on track, and to do that, he needs a job. Getting the position as Caleb's manny should help Ethan gain enough stability to go back to school. He just never accounted for the children's dad being a DILF. Welcome to Worthington, Texas, where the heat doesn't just rise in the summer - you'll feel it all year long in these stories of older men and their younger lovers. Every book in the Worth It series can be read on its own, but with so many familiar characters to love, why stop with just one? This book features a little hurt with a lot of comfort, the courage to come out of your comfort zones, and a teenager who really does have all the answers. Get Worth Trying and the rest of the 9 fantastic books in the Complete Worth It Series Bundle!

     Garvin’s worst fear is realized when he runs home from the fields to find his lover’s forge empty, his tools scattered, and the ground trampled by a band of soldiers. Nyle has been kidnapped and conscripted into the King’s army—a death sentence even for a big smith like Nyle. Garvin is untrained, unarmed, and nowhere near strong enough to take on one soldier, let alone a whole army. His household skills and a way with horses aren't much to work with, but he can't let that stop him. For the first time in his life, he prays to the Goddess for the help he desperately needs. He’s not expecting an answer. Particularly the one he gets. This is a rerelease of the 2012 Storm Moon Press story. It has been edited and polished, but there are no substantial changes. Content warning - contains a brief on-page episode of dubious to non-consensual sex.

    I sneezed the chickens bald, and there's no way they are letting me anywhere near the ducks or bunnies now. Basket weaving? The less said about my attempts there, the better. Preparing the real eggs? I set the water to boil them on literal fire, and when they moved me to egg painting, I broke out in hives. I swelled up so big, they had to bring me down from where I floated up to the ceiling. If we'd been outside, I'd have drifted off like some errant cloud! Candy testing is out as I hate sweets, so it all tastes disgusting to me. I'm such a disaster as an Easter Elf that Peter Cottontail himself had a meeting with Kris Kringle to figure out where in Kringle Enterprises they could safely put me. That's how I found myself assigned to the human world, working for the Feed and Seed department. Arranging and collecting deliveries of fresh greens and stuff for the bunnies and chicks should be fine, right? I knew I'd struck gold when on my very first day, I found it- a place called Rabbit Food. And the human working there? Oh wow...I think he might just be my mate!

    The Prince of the Moon desperately seeks to break the curse on his kingdom, but will the stranger who arrives to help him prove to be only a hindrance? In Learning to See a man saves his family by sacrificing everything to a stranger in a mysterious castle. Cinder-Elle lost his birthright alongside his vision, and his dreary days are brightened only by a man he met by chance in the marketplace, a man about whom he knows very little … and Capture the Moon is about a woman who leaves home in the guise of a boy to see what the world has to offer.

    Meet Lincoln, Benji, Lando, and Jude— the hottest rock stars of the decade, who’ve just about hit rock bottom.Face the Music:When I left the love of my life asleep in my bed ten years ago without a backward glance, I never thought I’d get another chance.Fame isn’t making Lincoln happy the way he thought it would. Will a chance encounter with the man he left behind all those years ago finally heal his scars?Play it by Ear:The heart always knows, even when the mind forgets.An accident left Dawson unable to remember the one weekend he and Lando spent together. The one weekend that inspired dozens of Downward Spiral songs. Can Lando make him fall all over again?Beat of Their Own Drum:There’s nothing Jude needs more than a firm hand...except maybe a gentle touchThe band’s resident bad boy is about to get an attitude adjustment in the form of a brand new handler, or as Bennett likes to call himself: celebrity babysitter. Oh, and by the way, he’s also Archie’s ex. Things might be about to get interesting.Strike a Chord:Want to fake date me?A plan hatched from desperation as they both watch our careers burn. Benji can’t think of a better option than fake dating his best friend’s twin brother, Paris. The fact that they’ve secretly crushed on each other since high school shouldn’t be a problem. Right?Bonus Content:Available as part of this collection is a short prequel novella to get a peek into the state of the band before love starts to heal them. You also get exclusive interviews with each of the band members, and a steamy bonus scene for Jude!***See the first page for trigger warnings***

    Two bitter enemies. One chance at love. Tav Cyrdath, a powerful wind adept and a brilliant general, leads the last free humans in a war against the Boa Visk, monsters who have enslaved most of humanity. But when the man who rules Illunvia refuses to surrender, Tav is forced to take the city by sword and magic. Victorious, he intends to execute the human traitor who has done so much harm by defying him. But when the defeated ruler, Duric Darmain, begs him to spare the citizens of Illunvia, Tav finds himself overcome by sudden mercy. He takes the man as a hostage instead, intending to use him in a trap against the monsters who have set this war in motion. Duric is defeated, broken...and yet Tav can't get his enemy out of his mind. But how could he ever feel this way about a man who has betrayed all Tav stands for? Duric knows he was only a puppet ruler for the Boa Visk, yet he has done all he can to shield his people from the cruel overlords. Now he is a prisoner, fallen from power, hated and scorned as a traitor. And yet the enemy general begins to treat him with a curious respect and eventually even kindness. He dares not trust again, but this one-time enemy makes him want to yield his heart as hostage, even as he struggles to conquer the fears he can't escape... Magic can heal wounds, but hearts must be mended with love. Both men have deep scars. Both have seen dark times. But the chance at love exists...if only they can embrace it before the Boa Visk return.

    He’s played the starving artist for long enough, and he’s tired of tending bar at a trashy go-go joint to make ends meet. His last boyfriend manipulated him until he almost lost himself, now he just wants to stand on his own. People only want to be around Enrique Fitzgerald because of his money. Trust doesn’t come easily, and neither does dating…especially since he’s opened his mind to the possibility that his interest in men isn’t just a passing phase. Enrique thinks he’s meeting with a middle-aged female artist, and Julian thinks he has a private showing with the patriarch of the Fitzgerald family. It’s fireworks from the first handshake but neither one knows how to make the first move. They both hold back, keeping secrets from each other. The truth is bound to come out. When it does, will their connection be enough to keep them together, or will the strain be too much?

     Justin plans to put his business and baking skills to good use once he owns the small-town coffee shop of his dreams. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true. If that means involving an unsuspecting silver fox in his scheme, so be it. Morgan knows moving to Briarton was the right step in getting his life back on track. A case of mistaken identity lands Morgan right in the middle of young, handsome Justin’s completely unexpected plan. Morgan should just say no, but something deep inside urges him to take a chance. Will Justin and Morgan complete the terms of their unconventional deal? Or will they finally admit there’s more between them than they first realized? **The Perfect Blend is a steamy, M/M age-gap, marriage of convenience, coffee shop romance.**

    Instead he ends up shipwrecked, captured and taken to the one country where he dare not reveal his identity. Worse, he s just been bought by a man with no love for Sardelsa.Ripped from his family as a child and sold into slavery, Paole s natural gift for healing made him a valuable asset but did little to shield him from abuse and prejudice. Though he s now free, for the first time in his life he s alone and he hates it. All he wanted was an apprentice and traveling companion in this hostile land. Instead he winds up the unintentional owner of a slave with a mulish attitude and a suspicious history.Yveni dares not tell the truth about who he is, and Paole refuses to trust him until he comes clean. The battle of wills only serves to heat up a sizzling attraction that throws a new complication into the mix: love.Paole wants acceptance. Yveni wants his birthright. Even if they manage to come to an understanding, forces are gathering against them that could tear them apart forever "

    Most would consider dying in a bar fight ten years ago upsetting, and existing as a ghost wandering the world might be thought a real predicament. They might deem a second chance at life through a chance encounter with a dying man a serious dilemma. But for Padraig, finding himself face to face with the man he'd loved and lost a lifetime ago is the biggest thing on his mind. Gareth Reilly stops at O'Toole's for a drink before he heads home. Tomorrow's going to be another lonely birthday for him until he's approached by a stranger. There's something about Padraig's bright green eyes and Irish accent that reminds Gareth of a man he once knew. Unable to resist, Gareth breaks his cardinal rule and invites Padraig home. On St. Patrick's Day, when Irish magic is strongest, it'll take a belief in the impossible and help from a grateful elf to give Padraig and Gareth another chance at love.

    Fifty years later, he finally has the perfect plan to be with Alexander... at least physically. After their life changing sex, Alexander tells Dimitri that he doesn't love or want him. Crushed, Dimitri tries everything he can to forget the man, jumping from guy to guy. As Alexander gives him mixed signals, Dimitri tries to come to terms with the fact that his mate may never be his. Can Dimitri move on from the one that owns his heart or is there something worth fighting for? ~~~~Love's Indecision - #2 Matteo Dominguez spent centuries performing his duty with honor and dedication, never letting anything sway him from his responsibilities. When Nate Hathus comes into his life as a pre-transition warrior, everything Matteo has worked for is put into jeopardy. Matteo desires Nate more than he does anything in his life, even his duties as a warrior instructor.When Nate seduces Matteo, he's helpless to stop the man, his heart and libido leading him down a path he's afraid may lead to his destruction. Nate has yet to go through his transition and the feelings he has now may not be those he has afterwards. Matteo agrees to see where things lead despite Nate's assurance that he will still care for Matteo no matter what.But when Nate's transition doesn't go as planned, Matteo is faced with a terrible decision. Does he save Nate's life and risk having a mate who might not want him? Or should he risk losing the only man he's ever loved?

    He has plenty to do, being the head ranger of the Tahoe National Forest, but living alone in a cabin in the middle of the woods isn’t exactly the most riveting life. He’s known excitement, too. For many years he served as a sniper in the marine corps, but a devastating shoulder injury has reduced him to civilian duties. These days, a walker’s twisted ankle or a trapped raccoon is about as exciting as it gets. Nothing can prepare him, though, for the day he comes across a man lying in the middle of a lonely forest road. The man is alive, but he’d certainly been left for dead. When he wakes up in the hospital, it becomes obvious that he’s suffering from amnesia. With nothing to identify him save for the huge angel tattoo that spreads across his shoulders, the hospital staff name him Gabriel, and tell Hopper that with nowhere else to send him, once he’s recovered from his injuries he’ll have to be sent out into the world. Against his better judgement, but always a sucker for swarthy looks and piercing blue eyes, Hopper agrees to allow Gabriel to stay with him. Perhaps, together, they can work at finding out who this mystery man is, why he was left lying in the forest, and who could possibly have attacked him so badly. What Hopper can never prepare himself for is how deeply he will fall for this handsome stranger, and how he will be able to let Gabriel go when the past, as it always does, comes to catch up. Please Note: This book contains adult language and steamy adult activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. Novel, approximately 82,000 words in length. HEA (happy ever after ending). Does not end with a "cliffhanger." Themes include: Forest Ranger, Amnesia, Angel tattoo, Lake Tahoe, Falling in love, ex-marine