Gruff, stubborn, and a little blind to subtlety, Max is the perfect poster boy for stereotypical masculinity. Used to dealing with the dregs of society, he never backs down from a fight, but his attitude is a reckless one. Max’s lover, Skyler Trent, is a dress designer who happens to be a cross-dresser and the polar opposite of Max. When a rough day on the job sets the stage for disaster, Max’s quick temper and a need to play knight in shining armor makes a bad situation even worse. After a very observant Skyler patches Max up, both are forced to face some less visible wounds that are just as in need of healing. Max needs to find the courage to admit a few things to Skyler—and to himself—or he might lose everything. * * * * * Erotic romance intended for an adult audience. All characters are 18 or older. Third Edition, Published January 30, 2014 Word Count: 4,869

    Bartender Jay Hinshaw recognizes Patrick's leashed ferocity and offers him exactly what he thinks Patrick wants: an outlet for his pent-up frustration. But Patrick's a complicated guy, and getting what he wants only scratches the surface of what he needs.

    The Faradays have supported Alex through his struggles with being bipolar. He loves them as he loves nothing else, but this year, his excitement for the holiday has less to do with the family as a whole and more to do with their youngest son, Everett.Everett is Alex’s best friend and the love of his life, but for years, Alex has been consumed by the idea that he is a burden on the family, and worried that someone as amazing as Everett would never truly want a man constantly on guard against his own mind. But last Christmas, with his career doing well, and his life as stable as it likely will ever be, Alex finally let himself respond to Everett’s open adoration—with one condition. A year without seeing Everett to be sure he can stand on his own without Everett’s ready support. Alex needs to know that he can, for his own sake and for Everett’s, because he has already failed once, and it nearly destroyed them both.There will never be a time when Alex is perfect. But this is as close as it gets, and he is tired of waiting. This Christmas, all he can hope for is that Everett still wants him, and that he can be brave enough to keep his promise.

    in love.Cambridge art professor Larry Morton takes one, alcohol-glazed look at the huge, tattooed man looming in a dark alley, and assumes he’s done for. Moments later he finds himself disarmed—literally and figuratively. And, the next morning, he can’t rest until he offers an apology to the man who turned out to be more gentle than giant. Larry's intrigued to find there's more to Al Fletcher than meets the eye; he possesses a natural artistic talent that shines through untutored technique. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see the sensitive soul beneath Al’s imposing, scarred, undeniably sexy exterior. Least of all Larry's class-conscious family, who would like nothing better than to split up this mismatched pair. Is it physical? Oh, yes, it’s deliciously physical, and so much more—which makes Larry’s next task so daunting. Not just convincing his colleagues, friends and family that their relationship is more than skin deep. It’s convincing Al. Contains comic misunderstandings, misuse of art materials, and unexpected poignancy.

    He thought he’d conquered the majority of them until a chance meeting with an author brought his illiteracy to the forefront...again. Growing up with un-diagnosed dyslexia has left Tommy barely able to read, but books are his Nirvana. Now he spends his life creating art dedicated to the love of those “untouchable” items.Robert McIntyre, Mac, is a best-selling, highly celebrated author. But his point of view has become a little bit too narrow...until Tommy opens his eyes. That chance meeting has changed everything about his world. He has no idea how to find the beautiful man he met, and offended, at the library book sale. But when he does, Tommy’s life is in crisis-mode. It’s the holidays and Mac can’t just standby when Tommy needs help, whether Tommy wants it or not.Two artistic men. One shared passion for books.Life is hard, and sometimes when conflict arises you have to write your own plot twist to pull yourself out of the fray.

    Mundane routine helps keep his anxiety and obsessive tendencies under control. Socializing—especially dating—isn’t on his list of strong skills either, and, made worse with the echoes of his disapproving mother. So he’s content to stay at home with his lists and cleaning and wildlife documentaries, until a one-night stand goes unexpectedly right.History has taught Devon DuCaine that dating can be uncomfortable, but there’s just something about Scott. He may be the opposite of Devon’s own long-haired, tattooed, free-wheeling spirit but he brings out the nurturer in Devon. Maybe it’s Scott’s surprising fascination with Devon’s motorcycle, or his shy surprise in moments of affection, but there’s more under those sensible suits than meets the eye. The most important person in Devon’s life, his mom, taught him love and compassion and that’s all he wants to share that with Scott. Their one-night stand turns into a regular thing, but Scott doesn’t trust it to last. He’s pretty sure Devon is hiding something. He’s even more sure that once Devon gets to know him, the attraction will fade. And then there’s his mother. However many sparks fly between them, Devon will have his work cut out to convince Scott they can have their happily ever after.(This book was originally published as 2 short stories. They’re combined here with massive edits and double the content from the originals.)

    This can be read as a stand alone story. However, it might be more enjoyable if you read WILD first. Trigger Warning: Christmas music, trees, presents, and all around holiday cheer. It’s been almost two years since Keegan and August escaped the Alaskan wilderness, and they finally get to celebrate their very first Christmas together. But their plans of peace and quiet get turned upside down when Santa leaves more than just presents under the tree.

    Devastated and all alone, he questioned how he would ever get through his first Christmas season without the husband he so loved. But when Drew's best friend convinces him to "find people who need help and help them," he finally begins to focus on something other than his own grief. And to his great surprise, he meets the one man with the ability to help heal his broken heart. Christmasing With You is a shamelessly heartwarming, upbeat holiday story that will require tissues, smiles, a box of good chocolates, and the willingness t o believe that Christmas miracles really happen.

    So Seb isn’t really surprised to hear the voice of his dead partner in his head…Do something, love…When Honey won’t leave Phillip’s side, Seb does the only thing he can think of – invites Phillip to come home with him for breakfast. Something in the quiet man touches him, and he wants to know more.And leaving Phillip standing on that cliff is not an option.Originally published in the Burning First Kiss Anthology.

    When Robbie wakes on Christmas morning to a special message in the snow and Kyler standing in the early sunlight, he races outside to be with him.Though he and Robbie have faced challenges in their past, Kyler knows what he wants for their future. As Robbie stands before him, Kyler presents him with a gift that will change both their lives to one of beautiful harmony.

    What could be a better way to celebrate than with a little kinky superhero role-play? According to Laurie, pretty much anything. Bummed, but unwilling to pressure his boyfriend into something he doesn't want to do, Jonah resigns himself to celebrating a more traditional Valentine's Day. But Jonah isn't the only one who hates to see his boyfriend unhappy...

    Jason Greene thought he had everything: a dream job as a partner in a large Philadelphia law firm, a beautiful fiancee, and more money than he could ever hope to spend. Then he finds his future wife in bed with another man, and he's forced to rethink his life and his choices. On a moment's notice, he runs away to Paris, hoping to make peace with his life.But Jason's leave of absence becomes a true journey of the heart when he meets Jules, a struggling jazz violinist with his own cross to bear. In the City of Love, it doesn't take them long to fall into bed, but as they're both about to learn, they can't run from the past. Sooner or later, they'll have to face the music.

    Which led to another. And another. And then to a mind-blowing night of intimacy Jeremy Reynolds can’t forget. He can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, smart, compassionate man who tilted his world. Can’t stop seeing warm, sexy eyes gazing at him with breath-stealing intensity. Jeremy tries to tell himself to let the incident go, move on, and chalk it up to a life experience. After all, what transpired between him and his best friend and roommate, Ben Cross, can never happen again. Ben is gay, and Jeremy…isn’t. At least he’s never thought he was before. But now he’s torn and confused and not sure what the night with Ben meant—for either of them. Already stressed about final exams before the holidays and his difficult family situation, Jeremy doesn’t know how to deal with the conflicting feelings he’s having. And the one person he’s always been able to talk to about everything is the very person he’s been avoiding for the past week because he doesn’t know how to face him after waking up in his bed. Afraid he might have already screwed up his and Ben’s friendship beyond repair, what haunts Jeremy even more is the backlash he could face if he admits to Ben, or even to himself, how much the night they spent together really meant to him. And how much he still wants Ben even now… This novella has been previously published and has been revised since its original release.