Oh, he had friends and he did his best not to show any of the jealousy he might have felt as they all paired off with gorgeous hunks. But while his friends were all talking about romantic plans for the upcoming Valentine's day, his only plans for the day included curling up with his cat Winston, and binge watching his favorite television shows. Lex was in a bind, a serious one. His father had given him six weeks to find a bond or true mate and present that person on Valentine's Day. With three days to go, Lex was running out of options. He needed a paranormal person - someone who could understand his issues, and who could handle staying with him long enough to appease his father. But when he spotted a cute human walk into the bar he was drowning his sorrows in, his tiger stirred. The human had paranormal friends. Unfortunately, Lex puts his big foot in his mouth within minutes of meeting Charlie. If it wasn't for Charlie's friends, his situation might have been worse. But when Terry and Zander, Sully and Q, and Roy and Richard all pitch in to help, Lex might have finally found a way to win his mate and get his father off his back for good. This is a short story of roughly 19,000 words, but it is complete. My regular readers will recognize the characters from my A&O books, Dancing Around the Cop and Change of Plans, however this book can be read as a standalone. This story has not changed from the Valentine Giveaway run through Prolific Works last month, so if you read it then, this is the same story. This is an MM true mates story including intimate scenes. It is intended for adults only.

    The skies have gone rogue. Space can't be tamed. And magic is a law unto itself. Transport yourself to new worlds where dark magic clashes with witty witches, diabolic demons, feisty fae, and sexy shifters. Or travel through time and space with cosmic spies, space thieves, and telepathic pirates. Add in a dash of Victorian heroes and inhuman soldiers, and you have a one-of-a-kind science fiction and fantasy collection of intoxicating proportions. Fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, John Scalzi or Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Tamora Pierce, Lois Lowry, and Maria V. Snyder will find themselves transported to weird realms and epic otherworlds in this reality-optional boxset. Rogues and Rebels, Magic and Mayhem, Futures and Fantasy—there's no limit to the excitement that awaits when you turn the pages of this collection of spellbinding adventures from some of today's best-selling Science Fiction and Fantasy authors. 1-click ROGUE SKIES today! With stories by... Missy De Graff Bella Andrews Ashlee Nicole Bye Emma Jane Holloway Candace Sams Melinda Kucsera Jennifer Ellision Mirren Hogan USA Today bestselling author Suzanne Jenkins Brantwijn Serrah USA Today bestselling author Shereen Vedam C.L. Cannon S.A. McClure Karen M. Bryson & Candace Segar Rae Hendricks & Lianne Willowmoon Lee French Tamsin Baker Joynell Schultz Tracy Korn Shannon Pemrick Suzanne Hagelin Nadine Travers Cecilia Dominic Bill Hargenrader Jason J. Nugent

    Their numbers may be small, but pack Alpha has a plan to change that. He knows only one person can help this reclusive group find their mates, Paranormal Dating Agency owner and genius, Gerri Wilder. Daegan McKenzie’s life revolves around two things, his grandmother and vengeance. When she asks him to escort her good friend Gerri to visit friends, he reluctantly agrees. Now he is searching for the clues to bring his friend’s killer to justice and travelling with a perceptive and slightly scary woman who just might know more about what makes him tick then he does. Two lives are about to entwine in ways neither of them expected as they learn that sometimes the ashes of your past can be the foundation of your future.

    It is the first in a series of gothic m/m romance anthologies called gothika. The stories in this volume are:Made For Aaron by Sue BrownAs a teenager, Aaron Fox was sent to an asylum by his parents because he was gay, leaving him emotionally fragile after the treatment. However it gave him Damon Fox, the nurse he later married. For over twenty years, Damon’s devotion and strength has never faltered. When Damon is killed in a car accident, Aaron’s devastation soon gives way to confusion when he is shown Damon walking away from the hospital. Despite a desperate search, Damon isn’t seen again, and if Aaron can’t live with Damon, he may not want to live at all. But forces beyond Aaron’s understanding work behind the scenes, and if he can find the courage to unveil the secrets, he might get a second chance at happiness.Watchworks by Jamie FessendenHarland Wallace made his name as one of the premiere watchmakers in Victorian London, so he isn’t surprised when a handsome young gentleman named Luke Prescott comes to his townhouse to hire him for a repair job. He is apprehensive when he discovers it is not a watch Mr. Prescott wants repaired, but a complex prosthesis he has in place of a hand.As further repairs are needed, Harland begins to wonder how much of Mr. Prescott is real and how much is mechanical, but he cannot deny the growing attraction he feels toward him. When he learns Prescott’s household servants pose a threat to the man they see as a monster, Harland must choose between what his culture tells him is wrong and what his heart tells him is right.The Golem of Mala Lubovnya by Kim FieldingIn a small, 17th-century Eastern European town, a rabbi creates a man of clay—a golem—to protect the Jewish people from the threat of pogrom. Awaiting a call to duty, the golem spends a long time confined to an attic, lonely and sad. His only joys are watching the stonemason at work across the street and listening to a lovely voice singing prayers. When the golem meets the mason, Jakob, the two become friends, and Jakob names the golem Emet. But devout Jakob struggles with his attraction to Emet, and Emet dreads being used as an instrument for violence. Though Emet’s name means truth, honest love between a faithful man and a golem will only survive if they risk everything for a miracle.Reparation by Eli EastonOn the harsh planet of Kalan, weakness is not tolerated. When young spore farmer Edward suffers an carriage accident that kills his mail-order bride and his factory manager, Edward has little chance of survival, until Knox—an enormous “reconstitute” labor slave—plucks him from disaster. Recons are part machine, part human remains from executed Federation prisoners. But Knox is different from other recons. He can read and has flashes of brilliance. With no one else to rely on over the bleak winter, Edward forms an alliance with Knox, and against social taboos, they become friends. Edward struggles against his growing lust for the large humanoid, and while Knox thrives in his new life, memories of his past torment him.A twist of fate brought Knox and Edward together, but there will be a price to pay in blood when they learn how deeply their lives truly intersect.

    When Bartholomew sees his dead lover at a cafe, he thinks he's imagining things. Bart follows Cullen only to learn there's a lot more going on in the world than he ever knew. Suddenly assigned the task of collecting his lover's soul, Bart goes through many trials in order to reclaim a man he'd thought he'd lost forever. However, nothing prepares him for discovering the truth about Cullen's past. Now he must figure out what to do with a man who kept his real self hidden from Bart, while handing over all of his love.

    When she hears Domhnall's lyrics in a death metal song, she engineers a meeting with lead singer, Brody Gallagher. An unintended kiss sends them spinning back to the poet's time, when Saxons were pillaging King Arthur's Britain. Brody's all for kissing her again. More, he wants her to kiss his friend and lover, Veris, to see what will happen. When Veris' kiss sends them back to the time of the Vikings neither man is willing to let Taylor simply walk out of their lives.But Brody and Veris are more than lovers, as Taylor learns when they investigate the kisses that send them across time. The secrets they share have the power to completely alter her life.

    Except a life and love. A freak storm changes all that when it hurls him into the darkness. He wakes up to find he s been thrust into a world of promiscuous and directionally challenged beings, sensually sentient water and servants created solely to fulfill any imaginable fantasy. The sexuality he s long denied is tested to its limits, especially when a darkly erotic wizard issues the ultimate challenge. If Kansas wants to go home, he must fulfill one task. Resist the allure of the unbearably beautiful king. Sounds easy enough. Until he gets a look at the golden monarch. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Kansas quickly realizes this is a challenge he is doomed to fail. Yet he has to try. Before he loses his heart."

    He was a squirrel shifter from a large family and loved life with his three best friends. He loved being able to dress people up and make them feel their absolute best. He felt it was his calling in life to show people how to be true to themselves, no matter what others told them they had to be.Quentin Everett was a cougar shifter who’d been kicked out of his home at a young age by an uncaring mother. He had been raised by an older brother, until that brother was kicked out, then he became the oldest, raising his younger sibling until it was his turn to be banished. He never knew his father, just like the rest of his siblings. When he got older, he managed to put himself through school on scholarships and became a park ranger. He loved the freedom it gave his cougar, and himself.Getting tickets to the event of the year at The Underground, a costume party was something that everyone wanted. Sammy was dressed as a bandit, and even though he’d helped his besties with their costumes (much to their annoyance) everyone was dressed fabulous, when some skanky fairy came along and tried to steal his booty of nuts! Mayhem ensued as Sammy tried to collect his lost booty of nuts from the floor, as chaos with mates began.

    But Newberry faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?Vixen by Jill Myles - A shifter novella of 15,000 words: Miko's denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn't want to choose between both men...it wants them both. Kitten-tiger & the Monk by Carolyn Crane - A Disillusionists novella of 20,000 words: Sophia Sidway, Midcity's most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption...but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all.

    Fifty years later, he finally has the perfect plan to be with Alexander... at least physically. After their life changing sex, Alexander tells Dimitri that he doesn't love or want him. Crushed, Dimitri tries everything he can to forget the man, jumping from guy to guy. As Alexander gives him mixed signals, Dimitri tries to come to terms with the fact that his mate may never be his. Can Dimitri move on from the one that owns his heart or is there something worth fighting for? ~~~~Love's Indecision - #2 Matteo Dominguez spent centuries performing his duty with honor and dedication, never letting anything sway him from his responsibilities. When Nate Hathus comes into his life as a pre-transition warrior, everything Matteo has worked for is put into jeopardy. Matteo desires Nate more than he does anything in his life, even his duties as a warrior instructor.When Nate seduces Matteo, he's helpless to stop the man, his heart and libido leading him down a path he's afraid may lead to his destruction. Nate has yet to go through his transition and the feelings he has now may not be those he has afterwards. Matteo agrees to see where things lead despite Nate's assurance that he will still care for Matteo no matter what.But when Nate's transition doesn't go as planned, Matteo is faced with a terrible decision. Does he save Nate's life and risk having a mate who might not want him? Or should he risk losing the only man he's ever loved?

    If the Gods of Ireland request that she couple with the king, so be it. If it is also their wish that he marry another woman, who is Chiomara, a simple Druid, to stand in their way? Erc Breac, king of the Dalriada, can only think of Chiomara. Her beauty is surreal and the tales that follow her across the land unsurpassed. But that is not enough when faced with the obligations of a king. His people must come first. His future wife and queen, Macha, must come first. Yet, fate is a slippery thing. Will Erc risk the whole of his kingdom for what lays in his heart?This story contains strong sexual content and is recommended for a mature audience.The King’s Druidess is the lead-in tale to The MacLomain Series. While The King’s Druidess is a short Celtic story, Fate’s Monolith (The MacLomain Series- Book 1), Destiny’s Denial (The MacLomain Series- Book 2) and Sylvan Mist (The MacLomain Series- Book 3) are full length novels. “Purington weaves an enchanted tale of love, magic, and sacrifice that will leave you wanting more!” ~Rynne Raines, author of The Awakening“This story is suggestive, and haunting. It is carried by the power of desire, the power of passion, and the power of desperation. There is a richness here that is hard to convey.” ~Nancy A. Lindley- GauthierPlease NOTE: This is a re-launch of titles published years ago. The stories have been revised and tightened. And as aforementioned, the sensual heat level for all four has been turned way up.

    Most would consider dying in a bar fight ten years ago upsetting, and existing as a ghost wandering the world might be thought a real predicament. They might deem a second chance at life through a chance encounter with a dying man a serious dilemma. But for Padraig, finding himself face to face with the man he'd loved and lost a lifetime ago is the biggest thing on his mind. Gareth Reilly stops at O'Toole's for a drink before he heads home. Tomorrow's going to be another lonely birthday for him until he's approached by a stranger. There's something about Padraig's bright green eyes and Irish accent that reminds Gareth of a man he once knew. Unable to resist, Gareth breaks his cardinal rule and invites Padraig home. On St. Patrick's Day, when Irish magic is strongest, it'll take a belief in the impossible and help from a grateful elf to give Padraig and Gareth another chance at love.

    They were created centuries ago, by the great Heck, to find and destroy serialists by any means necessary. Each member was gifted with a dragon that was connected to their soul. If one died, so did the other. The men didn't shift into the dragon, but they would call out and the maharishi would join them in the fight against evil. Not wanting their secret discovered, D.O.A. lived in a town called Drago, just outside Poconos Boulevard, and they hid behind their image as a badass motorcycle club Children were being murdered and Rene, otherwise known as Pit, along with his men were out to find out who was behind the copycat murders of a long time serial killer known as the Alphabet Killer. While questioning a victim's mother, Rene discovered his sentience, his mate. Now all he had to do was figure out how to tell the man he was not exactly human, and he better do it fast because his dragon heat was already kicking in. Bren was the local town veterinarian. He figured something was off about SI Rene Telkin. If not from the leather jacket with a large D.O.A. patch on the back, then maybe because he drove a navy Blue Harley Davidson CVO Street glider instead of a tan sedan. Bren was not the type to get mixed up with a biker club, even if the man was a cop. However, something kept drawing him to the sexy man and it seemed that nothing would break the bond they were forming. Not even when he discovered the secret all D.O.A. agents held. A large dragon for a partner. Now Rene needs to do his best to claim his mate and also track down a serial killer, because on the last body was a note threatening the good doctor of Poconos Boulevard.

    L. N. Hanover“Demon Lover” copyright © 2010 by Cecelia Holland“The Wayfarer’s Advice” copyright © 2010 by Melinda Snodgrass“Blue Boots” copyright © 2010 by Robin Hobb“The Thing About Cassandra” copyright © 2010 by Neil Gaiman“After the Blood” copyright © 2010 by Marjorie M. Liu“You, and You Alone” copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Carey“His Wolf” copyright © 2010 by Lisa Tuttle“Courting Trouble” copyright © 2010 by Linnea Sinclair“The Demon Dancer” copyright © 2010 by Mary Jo Putney“Under/Above the Water” copyright © 2010 by Tanith Lee“Kaskia” copyright © 2010 by Peter S. Beagle“Man in the Mirror” copyright © 2010 by Yasmine Galenorn“A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” copyright © 2010 by Diana Gabaldon

     The books included are: Stand By Your Wolf When werewolf Juliet goes on a camping trip with her human girlfriends, the last thing she wants to run into is a group of male wolves on the prowl for mates. She’s been acclimating herself into the human world just to avoid the cocky-as-all-get-out type of men who break her heart. But when she meets Roman, her life without a true mate is about to change. 
Roman is the alpha of his pack, and with pressure from all sides, he’s in search of a mate who can handle the challenge of a strong leader. When he finds her in Juliet, he discovers the very woman who can steal his heart and help lead a pack is also the kind who will challenge him in ways that could cost one or both of them their lives. Save a Horse, Ride a Werewolf As a child, Jayden used to imagine finding her true love and having a storybook wedding. As an adult, she never expected it to come true. She grew up with a single mother and knew the harsh reality of not-so-happy endings. Meeting Alex and discovering the true-mate love of a werewolf was a dream come true. Now Jayden’s planning her wedding and looking forward to becoming a werewolf and part of a big family in the form of a wolf pack. 
But Jayden’s picture-perfect life is threatened the day her mother comes to town. While Rosemary doesn’t know about werewolves, a secret that has to be kept in order to keep the Smokey Falls pack safe, that’s the least of Jayden’s problems. Rosemary has a way of getting what she wants, and in the process of fighting to have the wedding of her dreams, Jayden alienates Alex. When he tells Jayden he’s no longer sure she’s fit to be a werewolf, she has to learn to accept the most important thing of all – the love of family. Werewolf on Your Mind When Alisha learned Juliet, her former college roommate, was a werewolf, she wasn’t afraid. She was intrigued. And now, months later, she’s obsessed with becoming one too. All she needs is a mate to change her, and she knows Juliet’s pack is where she can find one. Luck is on Alisha’s side, and within hours of arriving in Smokey Falls, she meets her true mate, Jackson. But he isn’t the kind of man she'd imagined. Jackson is a feral werewolf firefighter who’d rather not deal with people, while Alisha is accustomed to a country-club lifestyle. True mate attraction doesn’t care, though, and it makes Alisha decide all Jackson needs is a little training. Too bad Jackson has other ideas. Sweet Summer Werewolf Chelsea’s job as an assistant to the producer of a popular reality TV show is a dream come true. It also consumes her life. So when she gets a month off, she decides to visit her college girlfriends and recharge in the sleepy werewolf town of Smokey Falls. After two travels days from hell, Chelsea makes it to the mountains where she can finally breathe again, and her vacation gets even better when she meets Quinten. With a voice sent down from heaven, she discovers the dreamy werewolf is a hot prospect for her show and a sure career booster for her. He’s also her true mate, but no matter how great werewolf life is for her friends, becoming one is the last thing Chelsea will ever do. But because the true-mate attraction is nearly impossible to resist, Chelsea decides to deal with it by allowing herself a summer fling. And when she opens her heart to love, she finds she never wants to let Quinten go, even though she’s not willing to leave her career.