A short story featuring the characters from the With or Without series.__________Word count: 2,498Status: Complete

    One Promise. The Magic of Christmas. Omega Everett is ready to be a father. He has a decent job, a nice place to live, and so much love to give. With no delusions of finding the perfect alpha and living happily ever after, he decides to take matters into his own hand—or test tube, anyway—with the help of a fertility clinic. On the day he finally gets the amazing news he's going to be a father, the rest of his world collapses as his company shuts down. Everett’s life quickly turns around as he moves to a new city with an amazing new job just as the holiday season begins. Determined to maintain his family’s tradition of going out to eat on Christmas Eve, he heads to a place recommended by his phone, only to find himself arguing with the maître d over getting a table for one. Alpha Graham’s dating life had somehow been reduced to blind dates set up by his brother, of all people. When his Christmas Eve date cancels at the last minute, he decides to make the most of it, grabbing a drink at the bar of the up-and-coming restaurant—at least until he sees a hot omega being turned away. He can’t let the omega eat alone on Christmas Eve, so he steps in. Sparks fly between the two and the evening ends with a kiss under the mistletoe, sealing their promise to meet again in a year’s time, when both men might be in a better place to start something more than a hook-up. The magic of Christmas is sealed with a mistletoe kiss leads the men on a journey to find themselves and their happily ever after. Promise Under the Mistletoe is a super-Hallmarky-sweet with-knotty-heat non-shifter Mpreg Christmas Romance complete with a sweet baby, mistletoe, and a trip to see Santa.

    Ever since he saw Wes, the boy with sorrowful eyes, Garnet felt an undeniable kinship. Over the years, he's watched that boy grow into a man, and now he's determined to give Wes a Christmas he'll never forget. If only Garnet had thought to test his father's sleigh before leaving…Orphaned as a child, Wes spends every Christmas alone at his cabin. When he's woken by a suspicious boom and finds a wrecked sleigh and an unconscious elf, he doesn't know how to react. Wes isn't fanciful. He doesn't give much credence to the stories about Santa Claus and flying reindeer. But a part of him wants desperately to believe when Garnet promises forever, even if life has taught him that no one ever stays…

    Once a year Adam visits his home town of New York to visit with family and buy his Christmas shopping. When he returns from his annual pilgrimage, Vance gives him a welcome home that involves a non-conventional use of eggnog.Includes the first chapter of New York Cowboy, the prequel to Too Much Christmas Spirit.

    But running the family Christmas tree farm has worn down his love for the happiest season of all, and lately Mel's been wondering what if he'd said yes to a ticket out of town with millionaire Bryce Campion three years ago. Bryce isn't used to people saying no to him, and he can't forget Mel or their brief but sizzling affair. He might not have been offering forever, but Bryce can't understand a guy as sexy and smart as Mel choosing to stay rooted on the family farm over enjoying the high life with him. He's determined to make Mel see what he's missed out on the first chance he gets. 27,000 words

    But the big group of big men accepts him, and likes him just the way he is. Having finally found a place he belongs, he works hard to get elected president of the club—and wins. He’s the happiest he’s ever been. But Paddy Brennan, a sexy bear cub who blew into town and became Mr. Popular overnight, is elected vice-president. Ron doesn’t think Paddy has earned the honor, and now he’ll have to work shoulder to shoulder (and belly to belly) with the guy for a year. Ron will do what’s best for the club even if that means setting his personal feeling—that Paddy is a jerk—aside. But then as the two men get to know each other, Ron reluctantly finds he not only likes the guy, but is growing more and more attracted to him. Deep down, Ron still worries he isn’t good enough, but maybe Paddy can show him there’s a beary happy ending waiting for them after all. A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Advent Calendar package "Sleigh Ride".

    On his first Christmas away from home, he assures his worried family he’ll be having a real Christmas dinner.Recent culinary school graduate Tom Stockton earns some extra money giving out cooking advice at the Talk Turkey hotline. Tom’s honeyed voice and sharp sense of humor are attractive to the lonely Carson, and Carson finds reasons to call the hotline again and again. But on Christmas Eve, Carson’s call is less playful and more panicked with the big meal looming. Carson is just looking for advice, but Tom has a surprise in store that might lead to much more.A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Advent Calendar package "Sleigh Ride".

    The Unlikely Vampire by Scarlet Blackwell2. Sacrifice by J.L. Merrow3. One Last Wish by Josephine Myles4. Mayan Time by Erik Orrantia5. Fire Can Make It Rain by Nix Winter6. The Hunter & the Hunted by Stevie Woods

    When the holiday season rolls around, people come from all over the country to enjoy both their hospitality and the wonder that is their town. Guests spend their days building snowman, decorating wreaths, caroling, enjoying romantic sleigh rides, and indulging in every kind of Christmas treat anyone can imagine. But when an emergency forces a cancellation at the inn, it opens up a room for a certain omega whose misfortunes have piled high lately.Omega Klaus's life is on a downward trend starting with the death of his uncle, who raised him as his own. On the way back from the funeral, Klaus is on his way to a blue Christmas when he finds himself in the middle of a winter wonderland. A wonderland he might enjoy more if his car wasn't broken down, and his pockets nearly empty thanks to his mean-spirited and scroogy employer, who decided that was the perfect time to let him go.When the town's kindly mechanic offers to find him a place to spend the night, Klaus has no choice but to agree. He is dropped off at The Christmas Inn where he finds himself confronted by two alphas his every instinct insists belong to him. But they're married to each other, and trouples are rare. Besides, even if they felt the same, what does he have to offer two handsome, successful men like them? He's broke, recently unemployed, and alone.When it becomes apparent that all three feel the connection, it triggers heat in this guileless omega, and a night of passion ensues. In the morning, the heat is over...which can only mean one thing. A Christmas present is on the way in the form of their baby.The Heat Is On is a 16,000 word sweet with knotty heat non-shifter MMM Holiday Male Pregnancy Romance that takes place in a small Christmas wonderland.

    When his lover dumps him for another man, Paul is forced to rethink his life. He visits his childhood home in rural Pennsylvania rather than spend the holidays alone in San Francisco. But only a few days with his family is enough to convince him that you can't go home again.Paul leaves for the airport in the midst of a snowstorm. Stranded in the woodlands, a chance meeting between him and a hunter is his only option for survival. He knows the type. A backwoods bigot like the men he grew up with. But what choice does he have? A few days with the Mountain Man convinces Paul there's more to Andy Reynolds than meets the eye. But is it enough to bind two men who have nothing in common except their sex?

    That's all Barry Richards wants for Christmas. Desperate for a traditional holiday, he creates a profile on "GetaDate.com," in hopes of finding the perfect man in a matter of weeks. One date after another goes sour, while all around him friends are falling in love, and Barry starts to lose faith.The first snow falls and the world fills with seasonal cheer, all except for Barry, for whom time is running out. Facing the prospect of a lonely holiday, he tries just once more to make The Match Before Christmas.

    Especially when all around him he sees the pain caused by the inevitable failure of those relationships. He prefers to spend his time planning celebrations for others, seeking only the occasional fling when the need for company becomes too great.But when a wealthy client demands that her grandson’s dark and gloomy paintings be used to decorate her Christmas party, he visits the brooding artist in his loft and discovers an unexpected attraction to the patchouli-scented modern day hippie.Artist and do-gooder Jude Kendrick has his reasons for disliking Christmas, and prefers to withdraw alone to his loft for the holidays. Although he is in no mood for a visit from a party planner, he cannot deny the heat that flares between them the moment they meet.They have nothing in common except the loneliness of the holidays. Can Michael lift the spirits of the moody Jude? And can Jude convince Michael to risk his heart?

    After a day dealing with sick animals, all he wants is a glass of red wine, some food and his bed. But as he drives home down a steep, snow-covered hill, he skids and hits a guy dressed as Santa Claus. Maric’s not badly hurt, but he’s pissed off. He’s pretty sure Phin’s not the one he’s supposed to find, but when Phin takes him to his cottage, and Maric sees no sign of festivities, he begins to wonder if Phin is the one who needs his help. Much as Phin would like to get rid of Maric, the thickly falling snow makes it too dangerous for Phin to drive him anywhere. The pair are stuck together, which suits Maric just fine. Now all he needs is luck and a bit of magic.

    Suddenly he's having very vivid dreams about a mystery man that seem all too real, and doing things in them he never thought possible. But what will become of the man of his dreams once he leaves the magic of the French quarter?

    It's the one reason Ben will never claim Dave Maldonado. Being alone is better than being with someone who lives in a bottle.Dave was destined to be a pack Alpha until his first migraine hit at age fifteen, the day he caught his future mate holding hands with another boy. In the nine agonizing years since, he's contented himself as Beta, but never learned to live with the pain and confusion of Ben's rejection.Dave's worst attack yet sends him to the hospital and brings them both face to face with the misunderstanding that's kept them apart all these years. It's too late, though. Dave is headed for Gay Pride Week at Disney World with one goal in mind. "Forget Ben Malone."Ben's got a problem with that. Only one man is destined to hold "his" David. And he'll give anything, even his last shred of pride, to win forgiveness and the right to finally claim his mate.Warning: This book contains explicit sex, graphic language, and male/male love scenes between two top dogs. Who knew Rock Paper Scissors could be such fun? "