For Michael Kingston, that moment was when he first laid eyes on Gabriel. In his life, Michael had only known darkness, leaving behind a broken shell of a man. Unspeakable memories of his childhood constantly plagued him, causing him to disconnect emotionally from the world. No one had ever shown him love; therefore, he believed that he was unworthy of it. And then everything changed. Gabriel Greyson had always been different. Growing up in a small, Bible-thumping town, his preferences for men, makeup, and fashion made him an outcast. But, with the support and love of his family, he overcame obstacles that were thrown his way and rose above the intolerance. He danced to the beat of his own glammed-out drum and refused to believe that he was anything other than ultra-fabulous. Working as a beautician, he had a job he adored and felt that everything was perfect in his life. Everything except for true love. When these two unlikely men meet, sparks fly. For the first time in Michael’s life, he feels like he can overcome the darkness inside him. Gabriel gives him hope and slowly brings him out of the shadows, showing him that even the darkest of souls can be redeemed. But there are secrets that Michael keeps locked away. Michael’s fear is that Gabriel will turn away from him when he discovers the truth. After all, who could ever love a beast?

    military to marriage and adoption, the gay civil rights movement has exploded on the national stage. Eric Marcus takes us back in time to the earliest days of that struggle in a newly revised and thoroughly updated edition of Making History, originally published in 1992. Using the heartfelt stories of more than sixty people, he carries us through the compelling five-decade battle that has changed the fabric of American society.The rich tapestry that emerges from Making Gay History includes the inspiring voices of teenagers and grandparents, journalists and housewives, from the little-known Dr. Evelyn Hooker and Morty Manford to former vice president Al Gore, Ellen DeGeneres, and Abigail Van Buren. Together, these many stories bear witness to a time of astonishing change, as gay and lesbian people have struggled against prejudice and fought for equal rights under the law.“Rich and often moving . . . at times shocking, but often enlightening and inspiring: oral history at its most potent and rewarding.”—Kirkus Reviews

    His parents and friends have all kinds of opinions, but for his part, Jules just wants to make the basketball team and keep his head down.Jack is trying to start over after a best friend break-up. He followed his actor father clear across the country to LA, but he’s also totally ready to leave his past behind. Maybe this new school where no one knows him is exactly what he needs.When the two boys meet, the sparks are undeniable. But then a video surfaces linking Jack to a pair of popular transgender vloggers, and the revelations about Jack’s past thrust both Jack and Jules into the spotlight they’ve been trying to avoid. Suddenly both boys have a choice to make—between lying low where it’s easier or following their hearts.

    Which it would be, if Hannah was gay.Ashley West isn’t looking for a relationship. When she’s set up by her mother on a blind date, she’s ready to nip any expectations in the bud. She’s less prepared for her love interest to be straight.What do you get when you combine a fake relationship with two meddling mothers? A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that will have you glued to the page!

    Remembering a legend his mother told him, he lets seven tears fall into the sea. “I just want one summer—one summer to be happy and in love.”Instead, he finds himself saving a mysterious boy from the Pacific—a boy who later shows up on his doorstep professing his love. What he doesn’t know is that Morgan is a selkie, drawn to answer Kevin’s wish.As they grow close, Morgan is caught between the dangers of the human world and his legacy in the selkie community to which he must return at summer’s end.

    Abandoned. Ryu Suzuki is no stranger to these things.For years he wandered the Outlands with nothing but his Katana to keep him safe. Kuroi kage —Black Shadow is what they call him. A phantom Omega. He belongs nowhere. He is no-one. Until a vicious disease spreading like wildfire threatens everyone he loves. After a series of unfortunate events, the game changes. Now he’s forced to go back to his long-forgotten pack, the Silvercrest Howlers. Suddenly, he’s staring at the man who ruined everything in the first place.The Alpha that betrayed him. The White Lotus. Micah McCorbyn.He also happens to be his mate. Extremely Dark MM Romance, MM Werewolf Shifter Romance, Gay betrayal romance, Enemies to Friends Romance, Gay Literary Fiction.

    Jayden is trying to reach Cairns when his car dies on the highway and leaves him stranded in a caravan park in Innisfail. As the rain comes down and the crocodile-infested river rises, Jayden becomes fascinated by the strange man who lives across the river—Hapi. What Jayden doesn’t know is that Hapi has already marked him for his own. Hapi and his brothers, the sons of Horus, prepare the souls of the dead for their father, and each claim protection over a part of the body. When Hapi pulls Jayden from the flooded river, he claims Jayden’s lungs, and his breath, as his due. But what happens when he decides he wants more than that? Jayden refuses to believe it when Hapi tells him he’s dead, but his only hope of getting out of Innisfail alive is by playing along with Hapi’s delusions. And with Horus due to arrive any day, time is running out for Jayden. Or maybe it already has.

    He needs to focus on recovery, not the young omega he finds himself doting over. Logan is back home to lick his wounds, not the hot older alpha who just happens to be his landlady’s grandson. He can see the cracks in Blaze’s armor, and he wants to squeeze his way in, but the ex-soldier has more defenses than a military base. Until an ill-timed heat changes everything … Blaze’s demons are a tangled mess he may never fully recover from. Can he really expect an omega who could have anyone to settle for him? Or is the only way to protect Logan to let him go?

    Featuring 18 stories by 26 contributors, Beyond is a 250+ page, black and white, queer comic anthology, full of swashbuckling space pirates, dragon slayers, death-defying astronauts, and monster royalty. Each story celebrates and showcases unquestionably queer characters as they explore the galaxy, mix magic, have renegade adventures, and save the day!The Beyond Anthology was born from a desire to see stories inspired by people like us (queer people with diverse genders and sexualities) slaying dragons, piloting spaceships, getting into trouble, and saving the day—without having to read for their queerness from between the lines. We wanted to see beautiful, heartwarming, and adventurous stories that reflect and celebrate the many facets of gender and sexuality, without having to worry that their queerness would cast them as a villain, a pariah, or turn them into a cautionary tale. Beyond is edited by Sfé R. Monster, assistant edited by Taneka Stotts, and features a group of 26 contributors who have created 18 exceptional all-ages stories that showcase and celebrate openly and unabashedly queer characters in science fiction and fantasy-based settings.Cover by Levi Hastings, interior of covers by Evan Dahm.

    His voice threatens to set me free.Insomnia. It’s part of the penance I pay for my greatest mistake. But when an ill-timed doze behind the wheel of my car nearly introduces me to a pole, I know something has to change.Sleep with Me, a locally-made meditation app, promises a cure. I don’t expect it to work. Nor do I expect to become enthralled by the voice of its creator, Sam Stephenson. His ability to coax forth my nightly surrender is unnerving. I have to meet this man and learn the secret behind his techniques, so I can evict him from my head—and still get a good night’s sleep.In person, the quiet and reclusive Sam is his own kind of complicated. He needs my business skills as much as I need his meditation skills and we forge an unlikely partnership. But the attraction between us soon flares into passion and, as we grow closer, I start to long for more than my guilty conscience will allow.I have no right to love, not after the damage I’ve done. How can I give Sam all he deserves, when our chance at a happy ending was ruined before we even met?

    He wants nothing more than to lose himself in someone else, but too many people are out for what they can get from him, including a membership at the exclusive and highly confidential Club Royal. Maverick was given the role of social media manager to Douglas as punishment for showing up his boss two years ago. Try as he might, he has not been able to get a transfer, though it could be because he is too damn good at his job. Despite being given the exclusive membership to Club Royal, he doesn’t use it...it’s just not his kind of thing.When Douglas figures out Maverick’s weakness, he wants to be the one to teach Maverick everything, and it sends them on a journey neither had anticipated.Can Maverick trust his body to a man who can have anyone he desires?This book contains sensation play, BDSM scenes and D/s dynamics in all forms. It also has lots of loving, friendships, family drama and, of course, a HEA.

    I’ve caught the feels for a client. Working as a mechanic and moonlighting as an escort takes up most of my time. The rest is split between hanging out with my friends and coworkers and taking care of my brother. I didn’t have the time or the desire for a relationship until I met a client I couldn’t get out of my head. Ryan is kind, attentive, and downright addictive. His maturity, as well as his calm and slightly awkward nature, draws me in. We’re as different as can be, but after an explosive first meeting, I can tell there’s something between us. Lines become blurred and boundaries are pushed as we continue to meet. Neither of us is looking for more, but Ryan is the first guy I can’t seem to get out of my head. I’m not sure what I want, I just know that ending things isn’t an option. Tease Me is a steamy 70k word, opposites attract, hurt/comfort story featuring an age gap, an empowered sex worker, some zany coworkers, and accidental feels. It is Book One in the Rebel Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone.

    Meanwhile, the gorgeous and successful Carter Wardlaw is shocked to discover his secret crush on the IT guy might not be as one-sided as he thought.This 5k short includes workplace romance themes, meddling besties, Instagram posts gone wrong, and the very real aftermath of a certain someone becoming downright twitterpated.

    All 5 books included: BOOK 1 - Shot Through the Heart BOOK 2 - Gunnin' For Love BOOK 3 - Outlaws of Love BOOK 4 - Wanted Hearts BOOK 5 - Beneath the Bullets & Blood Clint “The Cowboy” Maddox is a force to be reckoned with. Enforcer for the Sanitini family, the cowboy has known only violence, pain and death. But for a select few he calls “brothers”, Clint feels no love for mankind and believes that “an eye for an eye” is the only true means of retribution. ‘Let the punishment fit the crime’ is his philosophy when dealing with his enemies. But upon meeting Axel Anders, a frightened and lost young man with a stained soul of his own, Clint’s hard-as-steel exterior begins to crack as he finds himself intrigued by the effect this vulnerable “kid” has on him. Yet when Axel’s presence begins to disturb the ground beneath which Clint’s darkest, most painful memories have lain dormant for over two decades, he begins to understand that the young man poses a greater threat than any flesh and blood enemy –and knows he must put the kid out of his life, or face a resurrected past that he believed to be dead and buried. But walking away from Axel and not looking back –proves to be a much greater challenge than he is prepared for. NOTES: The Cowboy Gangster is an M/M romance series. Though the romance in this series is beautiful, if you are looking for strictly "fluff" romance, you won't find it here. Contains strong adult content.

    After witnessing way too much drama in the past, Captain Becca Moore is intent on keeping her players’ love lives out of the locker room. Becca has no time or tolerance for any distractions from the game. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Hope Hastings has been since the day she showed up for tryouts: one walking, talking, charismatically dorky and way-too-kissable distraction. Hope knew she was headed straight to the danger zone from the moment she saw Becca’s flame-red hair and surly captain smirk. She’s spent the past two years writing off her attraction as a harmless crush, but starting a new semester fresh out of an awful relationship makes Hope realize just how far from harmless the heat between her and Becca really is. The friendships of a tight-knit team and their shot at the title are all lying on the line, but as Hope and Becca get closer to bending rules they’ve sworn never to break, they realize they’ve put their hearts on that line too. Losing has never been an option, but winning might cost more than they’re willing to pay.Catch and Cradle is a New Adult F/F romance from Katia Rose that’s filled with all the hilarity and heartache of finding your way through college while discovering love, friendship, and what it means to be yourself.