It washes glasses, puts dishes away, and even dusts. At least he hopes it's a cleaning-obsessed poltergeist and not his own anxieties burbling over into neat freak fits he doesn't remember. When his property manager suggests he call paranormal expert, Jack Montrose, Taro's skeptical but desperate enough to try even a ghost hunter.Jack's arrival crushes Taro's hopes of a dashing Van Helsing-style hero. Instead of an invincible hunter, he gets Ichabod Crane. As the paranormal puzzles multiply and Jack begins to suggest the entity might not be a ghostly one, Taro adds a budding friendship with Jack to his pile of anxieties. It's a race to see whether Taro's poltergeist or his relationship with the obviously-not-ace Jack will reach maximum strangeness first.Word Count: 35,454

    He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there's little personal joy in it.Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher. Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about his restrained depths, gentle smiles, and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven. Warnings: this novella contains urban fantasy, wings, angels doing unangelic things, erotic content, and playful blasphemy.Word Count: 25,000

    He didn’t expect to meet the sex god Cade Rue and be lured in by the man’s inherent sexual magnetism. What began as innocent flirting and lots of day dreaming, on Tristan’s part, turned into the sexual night of Tristan’s life. Will this be just a one night stand or will it be so much more. If Cade’s wolf has anything to say about it, this encounter will lead to forever.

    A few hours after I took this photo Danilo got the phone call that his wife had gone into labor, we had agreed that when the baby was born we would finally go our own way. A week later I left for my Peace Corps mission in Africa.That was two and a half years ago, now I’m back in the neighborhood and it’s like it’s always been. I’m still the gringo, the only white kid on the block.Everything is the same… But it isn’t. Danilo is raising his son alone, and I am not the boy I was, I am not settling for being his little secret anymore. Ten years of hiding were enough for me. I still love him though… He called me last night and asked if I wanted to meet his son, Lucas. His son who he named after me… I wanted to be strong and say no, but I said yes anyway.I never could stand to disappoint Danilo.Photo Description: Close-up photo of two men’s heads, and part of a muscled arm in front of them. One man is facing forward with only half his face showing, and the other is turned to the side. The man on the left is darkly-stubbled, and ethnic in appearance. The man on the right has one eye staring into the camera.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" 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.

    Things don't work out the way anyone intended when Caleb gets sick. He wakes up alone the next day, extremely confused and utterly embarrassed.Angelo is an insomniac vampire who leads a solitary existence. Once a year he comes out of hiding—each Valentine's Day—to soothe one lonely human soul while drinking the blood he needs to survive.When Caleb falls ill, Angelo winds up connecting with a human as never before. But helping this human puts Angelo's own life at risk.

    While on a run his first day in Southport, Cullen comes upon a man sitting on a park bench staring out over the Cape Fear River with his Bible in hand. The man’s body language reeks of defeat and desperation, and unable to ignore his compassion for his fellow man, Cullen stops to offer a helping hand. Southport Baptist Church’s Associate Pastor, Abel Weston, has a hard time managing his demons. When they get too overwhelming, he retreats to Southport’s Historic Riverwalk with his Bible in hand and stares out over the water, praying for help and guidance that never seem to come. But Abel soon discovers that help and guidance come in many forms. An unexpected friendship develops between the two men, and as Cullen helps Abel begin to confront his doubts and fears, he comes face-to-face with his own reality, threatening both their futures.

    Secluded, quiet, and self-sufficient, Wolf is bound to not only inspire, but to bring Randy the peace he needs. The view's not bad, either. Vaughn O'Connell and his family are Randy's only neighbors for miles, and while Randy knows it's somewhat unlikely that a man with three kids is gay, it doesn't hurt to look. When a misunderstanding brings Randy face to face with both Vaughn and his eighteen year old son, Lyle, Randy's not sure what to feel about either of them. But things are not what they appear in Wolf, and the closer Randy gets, the stranger the O'Connell family seems…

    . . including the importance of a good wardrobe.Dead folks are the best friends of Quinn McConnell and Hunter Janz. Dead folks pay the bills for this team of psychic mediums . . . but just barely. To make it into the financial comfort zone, they need to outshine their competition.Quinn needs even more than that. He’s been infatuated with his partner for the nearly three years they've been together, and if he can’t either get over his crush or make something happen with Hunter, they’ll have to split up. Sexual tension and unrequited love can wreak havoc with a psychic’s reception. Salvation comes hobbling along in the form of a well-dressed but ravaged-looking man who can clearly see and converse with the dearly departed. Why? Because, he claims, he has something in common with them: He’s also been dead. The zombie who calls himself Dustin DeWind needs the psychics’ help in finding the man who made him what he is. In return, he promises to steer them toward the often elusive spirits that are their stock in trade.But something more goes on when Quinn and Hunter forge an uneasy alliance with Dustin DeWind. It seems he’s also nudging them toward each other . . .

    Thirteen years later, the memories still haunt him, leading him to keep everyone at anemotional distance, so it takes him some time to warm up to the idea of getting cozy with his boss, Harrison Harper. Just when Harrison thinks he has a chance at earning Micah's trust, Micah's past returns with a vengeance, bringing his worst nightmares to life... but Harrison won't give him up easily."

    However, getting the honest job he’s looking for proves more difficult than he imagines. Handsome and hardworking rancher Jacob can't find employees that will work up to his standards. Tired of lazy do-nothings, self-made Jacob resolves to give newspaper employment ads one last shot. When he meets a man with a criminal past, he has a decision to make. Should he give the determined and good-looking applicant a chance at a new life...and give himself a chance at love? Cow Poked is a gay standalone romance with a HEA and explicit scenes.

    While other subs spend their days trying to find their one true mate, Jake goes out of his way to avoid dominants. He's seen the dark side of soul bonds, and all he wants is to be left alone to tend his small Montana cattle ranch in peace. When an oil company starts buying up land all around town, Jake comes under increasing pressure to sell. A chance encounter brings him into contact with one of his potential mates, Henry Waterstone, son of the man trying to buy Jake’s ranch and a handsome dominant who pushes buttons Jake didn't know he had. For the first time Jake is tempted by the true pleasure of being a submissive. But as Jake and Henry grow closer, a new player in the oil company rises up and threatens to sever their fragile connection. Suddenly the person Jake was most afraid to find becomes the one he’s most terrified to lose.

    His job sucks, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, they own you. The trouble is, Zavier’s not a very good Collections Demon, with his tendencies to spurn authority and find loopholes to help deserving clients out of their contracts. He’s under scrutiny from the head of his department, who would quite literally like to see him burn. He just needs to close a simple deal to get upper management off his back. Instead, he meets Ryan.Ryan is desperately searching for a way to save his dying sister. He doesn’t believe in magic and demons, but he’s out of options. Zavier’s not what he expects in a demon, and even more unexpected is the strong sense of familiarity—very intimate familiarity.While trying to free Ryan from his contract, Zavier discovers secrets unscrupulous even by South standards. Exposing them could cost Zavier everything, but it might be Ryan’s only hope.

    Six wolves, a red fox, a black jaguar, and a lynx all think of him as the head of the family. But Mikael doesn’t have anyone to call his own until he comes across an injured Siberian tiger in the woods.From the moment the animal recovers and Mikael and Maxim meet face to human face, the attraction between them is undeniable. They strike up a tentative relationship, but they’re both proud men, and their egos keep getting in the way. Just when it looks like their romance is doomed, an outside threat to the family—to Mikael—forces Maxim to choose between the life of solitude he knows and the love and companionship that could be his if he stays.Word Count: 32,214

    Companionship these days is easier to get, thanks to the internet. Hookups, too, thanks to the mini-computers everyone carries around in their pockets to talk to each other. Want a quickie? Just open your chosen app and slide right. What’s harder is getting someone you can genuinely connect to, not only through a screen but in person.Step one: Create a profile online that generates trust. Step two: Convince them to meet you and charm the pants off of them. And I mean that literally. That’s not proven to be too hard, given I own a large condo complex in the ritzy part of downtown.Step three: Shower them with gifts, so the good times keep on rolling.Step four: Once a few weeks have passed, make them mine. I have the fangs and supernatural mojo to do that just fine.Now, if I can only get them to want to remain as my companion and not move on. My complex is full of vamps who started off as conquests and now are mated to another while remaining part of my coven. Maybe my luck’s about to change, though. There’s a human in the building opposite, and he’s been watching me with my latest hookup. He doesn’t know it yet, but my preternatural vision shows me the yearning in his eyes quite clearly. Oh, come to Daddy, baby. An eternity of delights awaits you…Little Daddy is a paranormal Daddy/Little age play romance. All characters are over the age of 18 and are consenting adults.

    It can’t be that hard... not when Jorgas keeps coming after him.But there’s more to this werewolf than a body count and a bad attitude. As their relationship grows deeper and more twisted, Reylan tastes Jorgas’ blood, reawakening desires the vampire had thought long dead. And what evolves between them may be far more dangerous than some rival predator in the dark...