But circumstances force him to face his painful past and the friend who betrayed him.Andrew Finley has no intention of going back to his hometown—ever. After he gets caught hacking the CIA, he builds himself a new life as a computer guy for the very government agency he tried to hack. But over the past few months something has been bothering him, and his boss is acting more paranoid than usual. Every time an operation failed, Andrew collected information that could prove someone was selling secrets and now he's pretty sure his boss is trying to kill him, so he has no choice but to go back home to buy some time. Going home may be more dangerous than facing his boss, though, considering his former best friend and first crush Teddy had betrayed him and let his evil sister and her minions send him running nine years ago.But he's back now and not everything is as clear-cut as he thought. Teddy may not be a Judas but can Andrew catch his fireman without getting burned, or is coming home going to kill him?One corrupt boss, one evil sister, enough family drama to fill a dozen daytime chat shows and an ex-best friend who he's been in love with for half his life makes for one hell an interesting trip home.

    A trip back to 2020 to watch a world-changing speech seems no different, until a woman runs away from his tour group before the jump home. Now her tycoon husband is demanding her safe return—or Reegan will lose more than just his job.P.I. Saul Kildare's business is running on borrowed time. Due to a messy break with the police, he can't get a referral to save his life. When an enigmatic stranger bangs on his door one night and promises a windfall for a missing-person case, it seems too good to be true. But the two men have an immediate connection, and Saul can't pass up the chance to spend more time with Reegan, even if he's clearly hiding something.Saul knows he shouldn't trust Reegan, and Reegan knows he can't get involved with Saul. But as their attraction evolves into feelings neither can deny, will they have the strength to take a leap of faith—together?84,000 words

    If the prisoners don't kill each other, they'll die slowly from mining the poisonous drug chojal. Yet Aleron still hopes that he can escape.Only thirty Athaki guards keep the chaos of Tantoret in check, a race of aliens stronger and faster than their human charges. Most intimidating of all is the head guard, Jasak, who has his own reasons for being sent to Tantoret.Amidst the darkness and desperation, Aleron and Jasak share an unexpected attraction. An attraction neither can resist when Jasak claims Aleron as his mate to protect him. Then they discover that both guards and inmates are planning a coup, while a traitor from an enemy nation threatens the whole planet. Suddenly escape from Tantoret isn't just Aleron's dream--it's a matter of survival for them both.84,400 words

    That protection comes at a price, one that Jiri discovers when he's sold to Zane, leader of the Death Dealers. He's shocked when Zane explains he wants Jiri as his own personal sex pet. But Jiri can't deny he's intrigued by Zane's proposal. He wears the collar and leash Zane provides and prepares himself to be a possession. But the more he gets to know Zane, the more Jiri wants something more. He wants Zane to want him for him, and not just as a pet. But before Jiri can convince Zane of his desire, an attack comes from The Night Dwellers, one that could destroy them both. ** A Siren Erotic Romance

    Since his clone-wife died on entry, he’s been doing the work of two on his failing protein farm. Overworked and undersized, Runt’s dwindling hope of earning corporate citizenship has turned to fear of violent “retirement.”When an overdue crate of provisions crashes on his beach, Runt searches frantically for a replacement wife among the tools and food. Instead he gets Ox, a mute hulk who seems more like a corporate assassin than a simple offworld farmer.Shackwacky and near-starving, Runt has no choice but to work with his silent partner despite his mounting paranoia and the unsettling appeal of Ox’s genetically altered pheromones. Ox plays the part of the gentle giant well, but Runt’s still not convinced he hasn’t arrived with murder in mind.Between brutal desire and the seeds of a relationship, Runt’s fears and Ox’s inhuman past collide on a fertile world where hope and love just might have room to grow.

    Kyle is very interested in Tobias, and is ecstatic to learn that Tobias wants him too. But his neighbors have a secret: They're werewolves, and Tobias is the pack Alpha. When one of the wolves attacks Kyle in the neighborhood garden one night, Kyle learns the truth in a hurry. Now he's a werewolf too-and since he's vegan, he refuses to eat meat. With Tobias's help and love, Kyle must adjust to his new life and protect himself and his friends from a neighboring pack.

    In order to keep the crews from going insane, the ship’s counselor must meet each crewman’s sexual needs, no matter what.When Jax Jupiter finds himself without a job, he takes the only one for which he’s qualified: ship’s counselor. But the last time he worked a deep-space flight, he’d almost been killed by a crazed spacer. Taking this job is against all his better judgment, but he’s trapped. He just hopes he isn’t making a deadly mistake.Logan Forge has been the captain of the Vieux Carre for nearly five years, and each year it gets harder to keep control. As captain, he’s allowed normal hormone levels, but he must, like the other crewmembers, use the counselor to maintain his levels. But Logan has a secret—he didn’t use the counselor on the last flight and he doesn’t plan on it this time either.Until Logan meets Jax and all his resolve is shattered. The more he watches Jax and the crewmembers, the more Logan wants Jax. But Jax has learned Logan’s secret, and if Jax tells the Corp it’s the end of Logan’s career.And just like the last time, someone wants Jax dead.And Logan is the prime suspect.

    I came here looking for adventure and excitement, but nobody cares about one more normal guy in a city filled with super-powered heroes. The closest I’ve come to glory is working in a bank that villains often rob.But then I maybe accidentally-on-purpose helped a villain escape the hero who was trying to save the day. Imagine my shock when, a week later, that villain asked me out for coffee. One date turned into more, and now I’m head over heels in love with Raul.Falling in love with the guy dubbed the Mad Bombardier isn’t without its downsides, though. I’ve had to deal with near-death encounters with other villains, awkwardly flirtatious heroes who won’t take no for an answer, and a lover I’m not sure I can trust. It’s getting to the point where I know I’ll have to make a choice: side with the heroes, or stand fast by my villain.Either way, I think my days as a normal guy are over.

    But his lover, Lorin, has been dead for eight months. After struggling to get past his grief, and cope with his HIV positive status, Cade is beginning to think about getting on with his life. Joel, a young co-worker, is not the person Cade would have chosen to share his battered and tainted renaissance . But Joel may be just the man to unfreeze the romantic in Cade's soul.

    They require time and effort, both better spent protecting the woods surrounding his Mountain Shadows home. Lights in the west, smoke patterns in the east, and now a shiny glint deep in the forest. Someone needed to do something. Mick Rutger rarely met a challenge he wouldn't chase, but the drop-dead gorgeous man next door gives a whole new meaning to crazy when he spends hours in a tree just...watching? When his charming words have no effect, Mick has no choice if he wants to crack this nut. He follows the mysterious Rowe on a middle of the night hike, only to be caught before the chase can even begin.

    A woman who receives calls over her cell phone from people who have recently died. A man who suddenly finds strange objects appearing in his life—and just as suddenly disappearing.These characters and more fill the pages of Sharon Shinn’s collection of seven short stories. Romance, mystery, and a little bit of magic follow each of them as they grapple with the past so they can move forward into the future.Chief Executed Officers is never before published. The other six stories have appeared previously in anthologies published 2004 through 2012.The Sorcerer's AssassinIn the House of Seven SpiritsChief Executed OfficersThe Unrhymed Couplets of the UniverseCan You Hear Me Now?The Double-Edged SwordWintermoon Wish

    Cast down from the wealth and status of the Sky for taking a human lover, Liam lurks in the poor and pollution-choked Gutter, killing to survive. Between his natural strengths and his Cybernetix mods, no mark has ever escaped him. Liam’s ex-lover Daniel is the heir to Cybernetix—and its greatest threat. Horrified by people less man than machine and the exploitation of Gutter factory workers, he’d rather destroy Cybernetix than inherit it . . . if his father doesn’t destroy him first. Years of anger and a heap of mods have kept Daniel and Liam apart. When Liam is hired to slaughter a man in his glass Sky tower, he walks right into a Daniel-shaped trap. Daniel’s father has betrayed them both, and only by working together can Daniel and Liam survive the coming day. They have no reason to trust each other, but as the dawn looms, a bargain that began with the simple urge to live soon reminds them of the love they once shared. Can they find each other again, or will the Cybernetix assassins find them first? This 25,000 word novella was previously published.

    Ye Ondry wants to earn status, and he is curious about this new human. Liam has just arrived on the planet and he’s trying to figure out these aliens who supposedly have good metals to trade. Neither of them suspects that a chance trade and a few pots knocked off a table could lead their lives and their fates to intertwine. Note:This free story is a prequel to the story of Ondry and Liam that details how they met. As such, it's not a romance.

    When his friend stumbles upon a matchmaking service promising to pair him with the shifter of his dreams, he isn't entirely convinced. Little does he know that his first match will be the man destined to change his bad luck forever.Logan Carter is a fox shifter who is looking for a second chance. Since adopting his younger brother after their parents’ death he’s not had much luck with relationships. Deciding to date a human might be a bit of a culture shock but it has to be better than not dating at all. Taking it slow might have been his plan but one glance at Jude shows him he wants anything but.As jealous exes and hate groups try to drive a wedge in their newfound relationship, Logan and Jude will have to decide if staying together is worth whatever price they have to pay in order to find happiness.

    Enrique Rios Ocha delve into the inner worlds of Santeria, Voodoo and Palo Mayumbe. A missing informant, her murdered brother and a ghost from Chase's past send them on a hunt through mystics and psychic surgeons to find their witness before it's too late. Can he rely on leads from a child possessed by Orishas? Do cards hold stronger clues than blood? Chase must conquer his own personal demons to bring the killer of his partner to justice and find the strength to take a chance on Enrique.