There’s more going on in November than just the movie, however—Walter’s been working up the nerve to ask Kelly a certain question. When Walter set up his elaborate Thanksgiving marriage proposal, it seemed like such a good idea, but as the holiday, the movie premiere, and the question Walter never dreamt he’d be asking anyone converge…let’s just say even Hollywood’s best couldn’t sing and dance their way out of Walter’s tangle.

    The rest of the world may be enamored of the creatures, but he doesn’t share the obsession. When local vampire Maikel van Triet pays a visit to the brothel, Arjen tries to slip away—drawing the one thing he doesn’t want: Maikel’s attention. Arjen’s too pragmatic to refuse a paying customer, but Maikel doesn’t want his services. All he asks for is a bed, shelter, and a meal before bedtime.Arjen’s reticence and open dislike intrigue Maikel, who’s delighted by the jaded young prostitute’s attitude, so different from the adoration he’s accustomed to. He’s never been a regular patron at any brothel, but now he can’t keep himself away. He still refuses Arjen’s services though, instead demanding Arjen tuck him in with tales of the daytime Amsterdam he hasn’t known for nearly two centuries. But when Arjen tries to seduce him into leaving, he realizes they’re forging something completely unfamiliar to him: emotional bonds.It’s equally obvious to Arjen that their arrangement is becoming more than either of them expected, and the thought terrifies him. Vampires are shallow, fickle creatures, and Maikel could never truly love another—could he?

    But a hot little piece of demon tail like Rael is impossible to resist. Slender, snake-hipped, and dark skinned, he swears he’s innocent—of murder, at least.Rael is delighted when a summoning brings him up to Earth, filled as it is with hot guys walking around like an all-you-can-eat buffet. He’s not so happy about the mean old detectives interrupting him halfway through his dinner—but he changes his mind after getting an eyeful of Lars’s muscular, Nordic charms.Now Rael has a vested interest in keeping Lars safe from the real killer, even if that means putting himself into the killer’s path.

    P. Barnaby – END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (First Love )*Sarah Black – SUCKER-PUNCH (Athlete/Hurt-Comfort )Scarlet Blackwell – BREAKING WAVES (Surfing/Angst )Penny Brandon – FINDING JACK (Cowboys/Mild BDSM )Lee Brazil – BE A BAD BOY (First-Time/Family Drama )Cardeno C. – WOMAN WITH A DILDO (Friends to Lovers )L.C. Chase – OPEN TACKLE (Friends to Lovers )*Kim Dare – MASOCHISM 101 (BDSM/Friends to Lovers )S.J. Frost – A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY (Musicians/Rivals to Lovers )Jeanette Grey – HEART AND SOUL (Friends to Lovers )Jambrea Jo Jones – WILD BLUE YONDER (Military )*Pender Mackie by DOG DAYS OF SUMMER (Blue Collar/First Date )JL Merrow – BEAR NAKED (First-time/Bears )M.J. O'Shea – BRIDGES (First Love )*Neil S. Plakcy – PHOTO BOOTH (Cowboys/FBI )Dustin Adrian Rhodes – STORM OF PASSION (Friends to Lovers )Jaime Samms – MOURNING (Hurt/Comfort )*Justin South – REFLECTIONS (First Love/Hurt-Comfort )Zach Sweets – LUSCIOUS LOVE (Coming out/Food Kinky )Piper Vaughn – WANTING (First Love )*Silvia Violet – TIME TO TELL (Military/Friends to Lover)Deanna Wadsworth – UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE (Office Sex )Stuart Wakefield – THE ELEMENTS OF LOVE (Sci-Fi/Ménage )Alex Whitehall – HOLD ME TIGHT (Hurt-Comfort/BDSM Light )Lisa Worrall – JUST ONE KISS (Gay-for-You/Cops )Connor Wright – GONE TO PIECES (Sci-Fi/Mild BDSM )

    The brief: the setting of either Australia or New Zealand must be an integral part of the story.Given such a simple scenario, it’s amazing how the stories are similar yet different. They range in location from shearing sheds in New Zealand to Goth nightclubs in provincial Queensland. From surfers on north coast beaches to sophisticated gallery owners in the heart of Sydney. A paranormal story involving werewolves is set in the Hunter Valley while a ghost makes a startling appearance in the South Island of New Zealand.The minor characters also reflect the diversity that can be found in these two countries from Asian cross dressers to Maori siblings and co-workers.The anthology kicks off with a sparkling debut by Susan Beck. You can almost feel the sand between your toes in “Weekend at Lennox” which brilliantly captures two teenagers being forced to share a bed when a group of surfers spend the weekend in a beach house at Lennox Head.The next story “A Soldier’s Will” is set further down the coast near Newcastle where Jess Buffett gives us a taste of a new series based around a Mangrove Mountain pack. In it, a war weary alpha werewolf returns from stints overseas, to shake up the equilibrium of a non-pack human who has idolized him for years.N.J. Nielsen creates some memorable characters and scenes in her story “By the Way”. In this, a country boy wakes up after a night on the town, wondering why he is decked out in collar, handcuffs and the scariest pair of stilettos he’s ever seen. A more gentle pace follows in Pelaam’s which features an established couple, Ethan and Riley, as they take a romantic holiday amongst the vineyards around the Marlborough Sound and meet “The Rose”.“Home” returns us to Oz, this time to the heart of Sydney where we catch up with some of A.B. Gayle’s characters from “Leather+Lace” and “Caught” and are introduced to two new ones: Jesse a sophisticated art gallery owner and Isaac, a typical boy from the bush.And to round up our anthology, we revisit New Zealand, where we shift into the world of hard-working shearers in Meredith Shayne’s touching story “Cutting Out”. You can almost smell the greasy wool, hear the bleating sheep and see the bulging muscles of Lachie and Shane as they work side by side, forging a bond that can transcend culture and age differences.

    Overwhelmed with work, and preferring to avoid people, Harlowe is not an easy person to know, and Cole values too much their hard-won friendship to ever risk it by telling Harlowe of his true feelings. Then Harlowe begins to receive letters from a secret admirer …

    In a post-zombie apocalypse world, an almost-madman named Mercury and his newfound companion, Gaga, seek refuge in a RV-turned-mobile-fortress.----------Word Count: 19,413 Complete

    He was different, not completely Human, and she knew fear and prejudice would drive people to do horrible things... like a father trying to kill his son. Five years later, Adam's father is behind bars and Adam has come home to the Zone, the last place anyone would expect innocence, loyalty, and devotion, to complete his becoming Lesser-Bred and find his best friend and only love, Ean.But Ean has a life of his own. He's always wanted to belong to Batu, the Male Kin who has watched over him since childhood, but now Ean's caught in a deadly trap of biology and vengeance: he isn't enough to feed his beloved Adam during the dangerous transformation, and Kin won't allow an emotional bond in their midst. Years ago Ean lost Adam after failing to keep him safe. Now that Adam is back, will a simple feeling give Ean the strength to defy everything he's ever known and keep them together?

    He and his teammates still get to strut around and have their pick of the girls on Friday nights at the local meat market. That's all he wants--until he meets Lee, a fox with an agenda and an attractive body.Problem is, Lee's not a girl. He's a gay fox who never thought he'd fall for a football player, until he met Dev. Their secret romance is hard enough for them to handle, but that's only the beginning of their problems, as their friends, family, and co-workers keep mounting the pressure to find out what's going on. If they're exposed, they could lose the careers they've fought so hard for.Going it alone would make everything easier. If only they could stop fighting long enough to break up.

    He’s always had to hide who he is or else incur the wrath of his strict and abusive father. After he’s faced with a horrible ultimatum, he flees to Hollywood where he hopes he can escape the specter of his miserable upbringing. Aaron is a wealthy, sophisticated man who loses himself in painting portraits of bound men to stave off his loneliness and despair. Unable to find a lasting connection with anyone, he has resorted to paying lovers so he can indulge in his darker passions. Aaron’s only respite is the Hampton Road sadomasochism club where he’s a respected Dominant. Naïve in the ways men can please one another, Sam takes a job at a bathhouse where he first glimpses a handsome older man. Aaron has his interest sparked when he spies a shy towel boy watching him whenever he patronizes the Temple of Eros. When a traumatic event triggers Aaron’s protective nature, he rescues the gentle Sam from the clutches of the disreputable establishment’s manager. As their bond deepens and Sam is trained for his first night at the Hampton Road Club, an unknown danger lurks. Will Aaron’s heart be crushed once again? Publisher Note: This book was previously published under the same title with a different publisher. It has been reedited, revised and expanded. Hesitant Heart is Book 1 in The Hampton Road Club series, but there is a satisfying HEA with no cliffhanger!

    This story is set between The Date and the epilogue of Out of the Darkness.Word Count: 36,000

    They say he's a warrior. They call him a demon. They whisper that he can grant wishes.Saiven can't resist. He sneaks into the secluded dungeon to see, but the man chained to the wall is not what he expects. Smiling. Teasing. He introduces himself as Faolan, and Saiven is caught.This...man. He makes Saiven feel things he should not feel. Draws forth confessions that were meant to stay secret. Faolan freely grants him warmth and laughter. But now...Now it's time to find out if Saiven is strong enough to earn a wish.

    Back to visit his parents Nik meets Trooper Jurgen Dammerung, a blond, butch motorcycle cop who’s so hot he leaves a con trail wherever he goes.Jurgen is the epitome of everything Nik hated about growing up the lone Indian boy among a town of white people. But Jurgen surprises him rather (ahem) pleasantly, in spite of — or because of — Nik’s attempts to needle him. By the end of his visit, Nik realizes he likes Jurgen. But Jurgen’s so not the relationship type.Right?Original Prompt:Dear Author,Those boots are hot, right? The veiny arms too. I bet he gets really sweaty riding that bike all day. mmmmhmmmm You can't see it in the pic, but I bet his hairy chest just glistens with it.I would love a story about this cop. I think he's a bit demanding, some might call him an asshole. You can give me an HEA, but don't make my cop too nice.Photo Description: From the toe of his polished boot to the dark glasses hiding his eyes, we are looking up at one very hot cop. He straddles his motorcycle, wearing snug blue uniform pants, a gun holster on his belt and black leather gloves. He's shirtless, and the cut of his muscles makes this a very good thing.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" 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.Download the story from the Author's website, read it online or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 4.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: gay m/m, cops; inter-racial; HFN; dirty talk; collegeWord Count: 26,429

    Having never owned a dog before, Jared is surprised to find himself talking to the beast. It’s wonderfully easy and lifts some of the heavy burdens he carries.Eventually Jared confides in the dog, not only secrets about his work as an agent, but also the biggest secret about himself. About his innermost desires and needs, safe in the knowledge his companion will never betray him.But at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Jared discovers things are not quite what they seem ...

    Finding the gorgeous and fragile Quinn living in his parents’ home, his body heats for no other.Quinn is a submissive male wolf who has spent most of his life abused by his former alpha. But being mated to his new pack’s alpha provides him with a level of safety he’s never known before, and a whole new world of passion and lust.Just as their love begins to blossom, a wolf from Quinn’s past threatens the happiness he’s found in Declan’s arms.