Now, instead of spending his senior year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence. Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go beyond friendship.Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young men to fall in love.

    Cue Forest Ethridge, my prickly, defensive coworker. I'm drawn to him right off the bat...despite the fact that he seems to find me more of a nuisance than anything else. I fall hard and fast, despite his warnings that I should guard my heart carefully. Just as he's opening his own heart to me, Forest disappears without a trace, leaving me wondering what exactly went wrong. Ten years later I'm still grappling with the repercussions of my first devastating love...and that's when he shows up again. Can I look past my own pain long enough to find out what happened? Or is it better to move on with my life? "I have one rule: don't let anybody in." Forest: As a teenager, I learned the hard way that nobody except my sister Faye can be trusted. Still reeling from our parents' abandonment, we've figured out how to fly beneath the radar. For years I never let anybody in...until I met Blaise Lancaster. He's kind and funny and full of hope. Making out with him is a mistake, and promising to take his virginity is an even bigger one. But before I can make good on my promise, Faye and I are thrust into chaos once more. It's time to leave my hometown once and for all, and there's no time for goodbyes. A decade later I'm still wary and defensive. My solace at the end of each day is listening to Blaise's award-winning podcast. When I find out that he'll be visiting a local bookstore on a promotional tour, I decide to go and skulk in the back of the room. Then our eyes meet, and I realize that my feelings for Blaise have never truly flickered out. Is it too late to rekindle my first love? And will Blaise be able to forgive me? Guarded Hearts is a standalone enemies-to-lovers gay romance featuring a whole lot of mutual pining, a second chance at love, and an HEA.

    Success. Money. Acclaim. I was standing on the doorstep to having it all when my father handed me an impossible ultimatum: travel to middle-of-nowhere Alaska to convince Gage Emerson to return to work or don’t bother coming back.Gage: Power and prosperity are overrated. Especially when they come at a price. When enough became enough, I walked away, forging a new, quieter life for myself in small-town Sawyer’s Ferry. That life was perfect, until one day Holden Prescott, son of my former business partner, showed up in my backyard. And he isn’t taking no for an answer.Nothing had ever tempted me to look back, but now I’m not so sure I can walk away a second time.

    Nothing in life was guaranteed-perfect, especially not guys... and most definitely not guys in the immediate vicinity of tiny O'Leary, New York. And then sexy Navy SEAL Ash Martin walked into Cal's bakery, and made him wonder if fate might have cooked up something sweet for him after all. Their connection was immediate, all-consuming, and definitely not vanilla... but could their perfect date last for more than just a night, or even a season? Note: This is a 23k word SHORT STORY that first appeared in the Heart2Heart anthology as “The Baker and the SEAL." It has been slightly expanded.

    Figuratively. But I don’t care about that anymore. At. All. I have a great life in Chicago… I mean, things aren’t exactly rosy right now, what with my boyfriend slash boss cheating on me, and then losing my job over that little vandalism incident… But that’s just a blip. Things will get better. They have to. I’ll be damned if I’ll be returning home to Finchley with my tail between my legs. But then I get some news: The Devil’s grandfather, whom I love as if he were my own, has passed away in a tragic mishap of the coital nature, and missing his funeral is not an option.Despite my desperate prayers, when I return home I’m appalled to find The Devil has not been the victim of some disfiguring flesh-eating disease. Nope, if anything he’s even hotter. And he’s sweet, and funny, and everything I remember falling for back in high school. But he’s still The Devil who shattered my heart and there’s no way I’ll give him the chance to do it again. Exes with benefits, though? Now that could be an idea…Come visit Finchley, CA, where the sun’s always shining, the locals are always gossiping, and you won’t walk two steps without bumping into a member of the Goode family. If you’re lucky, you might find gold; or, even better…true love.

    Since then he’s found a kind of peace running a rural bar. The last thing Jake Tyler expects is his former team to turn up with grim news. Jake’s ex-brother-in-law has escaped from prison and is heading Jake’s way. The team is here to protect Jake, whether he likes it or not – a decision reluctantly shared by their leader, Jake’s ex-lover Mitch Mitchelson. Mitch is angry and hurting. The man he trusted – the man he adored more than anything – abandoned both his team and Mitch. Jake never gave Mitch a chance to help or come to terms with his desertion. Regardless of mission protocols, Mitch isn’t about to open his heart again to that kind of pain. But the strong attraction between them can’t be denied. How are they ever going to work together when Mitch still resents Jake’s disappearance, and to Jake, the team represents everything that destroyed him in the first place? And meantime they wait for Riley to find them... and to settle the threat once and for all.

    Deny, deny, deny.2. Hope that his team and the public will just get over it.3. Make himself look better by means of a long-term, committed relationship.The problem? He has yet to really kiss another man.The solution? His manager knows just the guy.Enter Henry Brown: music student, openly gay, currently single, and so pretty that the public will just eat him up. He's all too happy to lend Ben a hand.Between public appearances and the media spotlight, they become friends. But when benefits come into play, the question is: are they ready for the real thing?Pull Me Under is a cheerful tale of two people finding truth in the middle of a media whirlwind — an emotional rollercoaster of slow ascents, magnificent drops and stomach-turning loops, all while hoping to come out with the sun on your face and a smile in your heart.

     Although he is openly gay, a lifetime of taunting from his family and community for being “too feminine” has still left him clad in false armor, portraying a character that is entirely fake, but keeps him safe from ridicule all the same. Stand tall, speak deeply, keep a strong handshake, never draw attention, never be “too gay.” But deep in his wildest dreams, Peter is a fabulous, flamboyant diva – he is just terrified of what it would mean for his life if he ever let his true rainbow colors shine through. Until he meets Andre Munoz. Andre is a traditionally masculine gay man who happens to love men like Peter, and who treasures Peter for everything he ever hated and concealed about himself. Andre is also into the “lace lifestyle,” a mysterious underground world of men who reject society’s rules and engage in sex while wearing gender-bending looks involving lingerie, fishnets, heels, and more. Peter is instantly hooked – on Andre, and on the lingerie. Peter and Andre soon fall electrically in love, and their increasingly mind-blowing – and boundary-pushing – sex sessions come with an unexpected side effect. For the first time, Peter is embracing, exploring, and even accepting his own femininity. Glowing with all this newfound confidence, Peter soon gets a wild idea: after years of being half-alive, why not finally unleash his truest self and launch the side career of his dreams as a drag queen? But Peter’s family is still his family, and his town is still his town. Will Andre prove to be his ultimate savior, or the catalyst of the biggest mistake of his life? Seth King’s Fem is a love story about how in the end, the love that rules all is the love you must find for the man in the mirror – even if that man happens to be wearing sequins. “Fem shook my world. Beautifully, breathtakingly good.” – author Angelique Jurd “I read this book in twelve hours and still can’t stop thinking about it, over a week later. Brilliant and gorgeous.” – Kell’s Bookmark Clique “One of those books that changes you and stays with you.” – Robert Sandlin “The best gay love story I have ever read.” – K. Ellis “More than just a love story…everyone should read this book.” – Quendolyn Barlow

    For Alex, the homecoming holds a mix of memories, mostly bad. The only bright spot is reconnecting with Benji Morning, the childhood friend he never truly forgot. As boys, the strength of their bond had frightened Alex. But now that he’s confident in his bisexuality, he’s drawn back to quiet, soft-spoken Ben.Ben isn’t the same boy Alex left behind, though. His life has been overshadowed by the disappearance of his sister two decades earlier, and now a new break in the case threatens to undo the peace he’s worked so hard to attain.As Alex struggles to repair the relationship with his father before it’s too late, he finds himself caught up in a twenty-year-old mystery, a story he never expected, and a shocking truth that could affect his and Ben’s future together.

    But can they ever be more than friends?Jason Hawkins is about to throw the biggest Hail Mary pass of his career. If he can't turn NFL recruiters' heads this year, he'll lose his shot at the one thing he's ever been good at. But every quarterback needs a man he can count on down-field. For Jason, that man just might be the Tigers' new receiver, Derek Griffin.Four years ago, Derek nearly lost everything after being outed by his teammates.Now he finally has a chance to get it all back as a walk-on for Eastshore College... if he can resist his immediate attraction to the gorgeous and very straight star quarterback.An instant connection during practice leads to an easy friendship that only grows stronger off the field. Derek is convinced friendship is all it'll ever be, but a very confusing moment of impulse leaves both of them fumbling for answers about their relationship.As curiosity gives way to passion and passion gives way to something deeper, Jason and Derek will have to tackle their own personal demons to bring home the win and earn their happy ending.

    Ten years later Tallis is dead broke, newly homeless, and on the walk of shame to end all walks of shame. He needs money and needs it fast, and Rock Bay is the only home he knows. But the people of Rock Bay haven't forgotten him-or the spoiled brat he used to be. The only person in town willing to overlook his past is Lex, the new coffee shop owner, who offers Tally a job even though he appears to despise Tally based on his reputation alone. When Tally discovers his gorgeous boss is the kid he tortured back in high school, Lex's hot and cold routine finally makes sense. Now Tally has to pull out all the stops to prove he was never really the jerk he seemed to be. After all, if he can win Lex's heart, the rest of the town should be a piece of coffee cake.

    After years of running from his past, present and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, Karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on; a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating break-up three years ago.Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold onto. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.

    Crew. His cocky attitude and good looks got him what he wanted, including samples off the man meat buffet. Then he found his favorite dessert, Brandon. But Brandon wasn’t sending out a rainbow vibe so Ryan was sent to the land that crushes dread, the friend zone.Brandon Ford was buried so deep down in the closet that clothes from the seventies had a better chance of coming out. His anxieties of acting on his desires could keep a therapist entertained for hours. Even though he did his best to build his emotions out of bricks, it was no use against Ryan’s charms.Follow Ryan and Brandon’s relationship from high school, to college and beyond to find out if they will be Tied Together.Warning: No Anaconda Turtles have been harmed in the making of this book.

    Now jaded and broken, Alex and Matt still can’t deny their sizzling connection or the memories of one perfect, uninhibited year together. At twenty-two, Matt Tarrington is rich, good-looking and destined to be powerful, but behind that confident exterior lurks a man who resents the life his family thrust upon him. Desperate for an escape, Matt heads to Mirabella Island off the coast of Florida for a year of relaxation and some wild nights with vacationing party-girls. Matt never expected to find real passion in the arms of Alex Hunter, a handsome, laid-back local. Alex is gay, but closeted. Matt should be completely off limits, but Alex finds the deeply in denial rich boy too tempting to ignore. Especially when a bet has them working together, fighting the heat in the rundown, beachside cafe where Alex sweats for every dollar. Their love felt inevitable until youth left them vulnerable to hatred and greed. Now after six years of hating the lies they live, Alex and Matt will have to risk it all for the second chance they both desperately need.

    After the death of his lover, Kyle, from cancer, he buried himself in his law practice and the gym. At forty-eight, he is haunted by his memories and walled off from the world. When David injures himself working out, he’s assigned to Brandon Smith for physical therapy. The vibrant young therapist is attracted to David and realizes he needs a hand to get back into dating. What begins as a practice coffee date escalates to friendship, passion, and maybe something more, as they navigate a new relationship in Washington, DC, and the gay mecca of Provincetown. But David remains trapped behind the barrier of fear and guilt. Will he remain loyal to Kyle’s memory if he moves on? Can he and Brandon manage a twenty-two-year age gap? Brandon thinks he understands David’s concerns, and for him, the answer to those questions is yes. He wants to be with David, and he believes he can overcome David’s barriers. But Brandon fails to account for the world’s reaction to a handsome young man attached to an older, wealthy lover. David’s memories, Brandon’s pride, and an unexpected tragedy might cost them something very special… Note: Another publisher released September previously with a different cover. The author has made only minor changes to this edition.