It is a product of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Hot Summer Days event and features authors attending the GayRomLit Retreat 2011 in New Orleans; if you like what you read, come join our group! Read these stories online or download the anthology from ARe. Note: These stories contain sexually explicit content and are intended for adult readers only.J. P. Barnaby – IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT = First LoveL.C. Chase – OPEN TACKLE = Friends to LoversJaya Christopher – CODY AND THE HERMIT = BDSM/CowboysPoppy Dennison – BLINDSIDED = Hurt/ComfortTaylor V. Donovan – HEATSTROKE = AngstRachel Haimowitz – JUNGLE HEAT = MilitaryJambrea Jo Jones – WILD BLUE YONDER = MilitaryLissa Kasey and Xara X. Xanakas – SINK OR SWIM = Established CoupleK-lee Klein – OUTFOXED = Rock StarsMarguerite Labbe – TEARS OF THE SEA = Paranormal/FairytalesClare London – SAY A LITTLE PRAYER = Paranormal/AngelsBelinda McBride – FREE TO FLY = BDSMMichele L. Montgomery – TEARS FROM ABOVE = Paranormal/AngelsCherie Noel – KISS AND TELL = Mild KinkLydia Nyx – MOON OVER MONTANA = Shifter/CowboysM.J. O'Shea – BRIDGES = First LoveS.J.D. Peterson - INNOCENCE TO THE MAX = Paranormal/BDSMDevon Rhodes – HIS LAST RESORT = Coming OutJaime Samms – MOURNING = Hurt/ComfortP.D. Singer – THE BOY NEXT DOOR = Friends to LoversAndrea Speed – MY BLOODY VALENTINE = Paranormal/SorcererDamon Suede – SEEDY BUSINESS = Sci-FiV.J. Summers – LIAR, LIAR = Friends to LoversBryl R. Tyne – ALIPIO = FantasyPiper Vaughn – WANTING = First LoveMissy Welsh – YOU AND BILLION BLUE TILES = First LoveEden Winters – SWEET DREAMS = Coming Out

    To make ends meet, Dane and his crew take up mercenary jobs. Yet wherever they go, trouble never seems to be far behind.On what should have been a routine cargo delivery, the ship is forced to make an unexpected pit-stop on the barren wastelands of Earth. There Dane meets a young man with no name or past, whose only companion is a leopard by the name of Spot. Feeling a connection to him, Dane takes the duo onto his ship, unaware of the trouble he has invited in.When the young man's memories begin to surface, Dane leads his crew across space in search of a hidden past, to a backwater planet where something is very amiss.Original Prompt:Dear Author,He was wrong, that's why his family left him on Earth. It was for his own good. The Elders would have taken him away, tried to 'fix' him. It wasn't safe for him on his home world, ever.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.

    A trip to the movies brings him face to face with the ways he has changed since meeting D.

    I never intended to meet him at all, but here he was laughing his ass off at my miserable state. My first spoken words to him were nasty and reflected poorly on me. But he wasn’t much better, laughing at another’s misfortune. By the time I learned the reason behind his strange laugh, he had given me a glimpse of his true self, and I could only hope I would prove myself worthy of his love.Dear Author,“I cannot believe how badly my day has gone what with the rain and the mud. To top off this craptastic day, my roommate invited some friends over. The guy I have been crushing on took one look at me and laughed his pretty ass off. I really want this day to be over.”This poor boy. Do you think you can make his day better?Photo Description: A well-built young man with longish brown hair stares sideways at the viewer. His hair is wet and hanging over his eyes. His face and naked chest are splattered with mud. He does not look happy, in fact he looks furious.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.

    When the warning lights and signals announce the train, he’s there on the platform. I don’t know where he comes from, maybe he does the park’n ride (I’m trying to not be too stalkerish). Always gets into the same car as me, usually one seat over and across. Still in his seat when the train reaches the university’s station. He’s never there on my trip home. I’ve smiled, he just stares, not a ‘fucking fag’ stare, I think it’s a ‘who me’?Today I went to school early for a study session; I was sad to miss him, there wasn’t many people on the platform. I had my board with me, as always, and when I stopped, I heard three claps. There he was, like he was stalking me. I know he probably thinks I’m a kid, but I’m twenty-two and I’m tired of this dancing around.Photo Description: Two men:Photo 1: The first is a slim young man in ripped jeans, black T-shirt, and hoodie. He leans on a chain-link fence, fingers gripping the wire, staring out at the camera. His strong face is framed by a mass of wavy, long, blond hair.Photo 2: The second man is older, perhaps in his late-thirties, with short-cropped dark hair, and an elegant look, despite his sweatshirt and loose, casual jacket. He’s turned to his right, smiling slightly.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    A Sci-Regency series short story, featuring Raleigh and Steven.__________Word Count: 3,759Status: Complete

    Lane Stevens, retired to the quiet seclusion of Tahoe to write his books. He never expected the one student he can’t forget to seek him out and make a startling confession.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    On the way, he has an accident and is injured. He wakes up with no memories of his past, not even of his name.Xander Dane is a wolf shifter and Second of his pack. He saves Jessie’s life, only to realize Jess is his mate. Xander has been in the closet his whole life. Coming out may be harder than ever because not only does he have to tell everyone he’s gay and risk exile, but he has to tell his mate he’s part wolf. Since Jessie can’t remember who he is, Xander has to take a chance on a man who may have a life waiting for him somewhere else – a life that doesn’t include Xander.This is the extended release version of Wrong Turn, which has been lengthened to more than triple its original size. Genres/Tags: Gay M/M / Shape Shifter / Wolf Shifter / Coming Out / First Time / Marking / MatingApprox. Word Count: 34,263

    I was captured, restrained, interrogated for information I don’t even have. No one is coming for me; I knew that without his taunts. But if he thinks I’ll surrender, he has another thing coming.Photo Description: A young man with neatly trimmed brown hair, thick eyebrows, and piercing hazel eyes stares at the camera, looking determined. His torso is bare except for leather restraints surrounding his neck and wrists. A rope is wrapped around his wrists several times and through a ring on the leather cuffs, and holds his hands suspended next to his head.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.

    I feel like a creep, I hide behind the plants on my balcony. This young man could be my son. He is always so earnest, careful and alone. Does he not have friends? Why does he seem so introvert? I want to see him smile, I want to see him laugh.Something isn’t right and I want to know it.Yours, the mature man from the apartment next doorPhoto Description: A young man with slightly disheveled, light blond hair sits, balanced precariously on a balcony rail in dappled sunlight. He is wearing only a towel and is looking at and reaching down to something behind him. His chest and stomach are smooth and well-toned. He is slim and not overly muscular. His hair is covering his face hiding his expression, adding an air of mystery. There is a hint of a smile on his lips.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Please help me get out of this mess I’ve made!Photo Description: The photo is of a young man wearing a T-shirt with the caption “Life is short & so is your penis.”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.

    He’s stuck in the office while Randy’s ex Crabtree enjoys Ethan’s husband’s holiday antics. When it’s clear Ethan feels left out in the cold, Crabtree tries to mend fences by suggesting Ethan make Randy’s fun and games a main event at the casino instead of a backroom sideshow. This way Ethan can have his cake and eat it too, especially since Randy’s the one jumping out of the center.Randy knows Crabtree’s motives are never entirely pure and that the gangster can easily twist Ethan’s thinking. Playing naughty elf isn’t worth it if it’ll cost him his cozy holiday with his husband, and as The Twelve Days of Randy spin slowly out of control, Randy fears his perfect Christmas will come crashing down around him. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to untangle this mess.Luckily, miracles are Herod’s specialty.

    Until it wasn't.Two years after surviving a brutal attack from members of his own unit, former Special Forces soldier Cruz de la Vega has found new purpose working for an underground vigilante group that offers justice when the law can't. When he's assigned to figure out who attacked a local gay rights activist, Cruz expects it to be just another job.But when it comes to protecting Elliot Wittier, he soon learns that the last thing he wants is for the intriguing young man to be just another job.At twenty-five years old, Elliot Wittier is well on his way to having the perfect life. As the head of a hugely successful investment firm and the founder of a prominent foundation, he should be on top of the world.But looks can be deceiving and Elliot knows how to play the game. With the fear of failing the two most important people in his life always at the forefront of his mind, Elliot keeps an iron-grip on the control that has served him so well in the past. But when a violent attack leaves him vulnerable, Elliot's carefully constructed world starts to fracture. As he struggles to keep the threat under wraps, he's thrown off guard when a gorgeous stranger takes an interest in him at a Halloween themed benefit. Throwing caution to the wind, Elliot decides to allow himself the freedom that being with the enigmatic Cruz de la Vega brings for just one night.But what happens when one night isn't enough? Or when the past catches up with the present? Can what two men found in each other in just twenty-four hours really last a lifetime?***Although it features several characters from my other books and is part of the "Protectors" world, Protecting Elliot is a stand-alone novella that can serve as a great way to get a feel for the Protectors/Barretti/Finding universe I've created. In regards to the timeline of events, Protecting Elliot occurs after Book 9 in my Protectors series, but it is not necessary to read any other books to enjoy this novella. I've specifically written this book to give new readers a chance to meet my guys and for loyal fans to check in with old favorites while still meeting a new couple.***

    Living on an aircraft carrier, surrounded by so many men in such close quarters, I worry that if my sexuality is known, most of them will subscribe to the narrow thinking that I am attracted to all of them. But there is one who has caught my eye and driven my senses into overload. The problem is that he is a fellow pilot. I don't want to cause any issues in our working environment, and I don't even know if he is gay, but I am drawn to him and cannot stop thinking about him. What I wouldn't give for a stolen night together, but I long for even more than that because I am attracted to his personality, sense of humor, and strength of character as much as I am attracted to his physicality.And then one day, his co-pilot gets sick, and I am told to fly with him. Will this time together possibly lead to something? I can't help but hope that it does.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.

    He’d gone away to college and came home for Thanksgiving. Any lingering doubts about my sexuality vanished. It had just been a few months, but somehow he looked very different: older, hotter, more sophisticated.I know I shouldn’t feel this way about my brother, and I swear I’ve tried to stop thinking of him in that way. But no guy I’ve been with has measured up to him. I haven’t seen him since before I started college, but I’ll never forget the way he looked at me that last time. It gave me hope that he might feel the same for me.This weekend, I’m going to find out.Photo Description: The young man, his defined chest bared and jeans hanging loosely around his hips, stares out from the picture. From beneath the shadow of his sweater’s hood his eyes glitter, dark and enticing but troubled. His hands are clasped behind his back, as though he’s trying to stop himself from reaching out to grab something or someone.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.