Salvation beckons in the form of a job opportunity in California.What newly-discharged army veteran Troy Johnson wants is simply to lay down - lay down his weapon, lay down some roots, and lay down the memories that haunt him. Red Deer sounds like the perfect place to do it.Sparks fly when their paths cross one hot Fourth of July weekend, and suddenly they find that what they need is each other.But the memories Troy is running from are hot on his heels and, whether Troy wants it or not, Dmitri is determined to save him from the demons he hadn’t even realized he was fighting.

    They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.

    Lucas arrives on the idyllic island of Sapphire Cay with its white-sand beaches and warm balmy nights for his sister’s wedding. Grieving for a friend, stressed, and with an ulcer, he wants to see his sister happy before he returns home to an uncertain future. He doesn’t have the spirit or desire to form a relationship, but laid back, Dylan tempts him with the promise of a new future if only he were brave enough to take the chance. Dylan never settles in one place for long. A free-spirited traveler, he follows the sun where it takes him and lives for today. Until he meets Lucas and realizes that sometimes the sun is brightest in people’s hearts, and now could be the time to stop moving on.

    It's not the sort of place where a quiet, eighteen-year-old who loves the Beatles and playing guitar can expect to fit in.Conor's also pretty sure he's the only gay person in town.Well, except for one other person...Derek Folsom is the kind of bad influence parents warn you about. He's tough, rough, and always looking for a fight. He's the last person anyone would suspect of being gay, in fact he's likely to punch anyone who does suspect it. So why is he suddenly so interested in Conor?Conor's pinning all his hopes on auditioning for a TV show. It's his only chance to realize his dreams, and escape all of these confusing feelings. But will he be able to find his voice... and his true self?

    . . a faggot? A queer? A sissy? About a dozen more words meandered through my brain, every word I’d ever heard from my friends, from adults, from TV. Was that who I was now? Were those words me now?"While most gay men grow up living in the closet until they are brave enough to step out and be themselves, Adam Shepherd experiences the opposite. After living almost all of his young life out and gay, he goes into the closet, willingly, in order to have the career and life he wants and needs. He thinks he can handle it, but he soon discovers how much he has truly given up.Chase Michaels was always there for Adam, a substitute “big-brother” and true friend in his growing up years. Adam has always harbored a secret involving Chase, but it conflicts with the closet he now lives in as an adult. When the pressure becomes too much, Adam chooses to stay in his closet . . . but at what cost? And can he change things before it’s too late?Original Prompt:Dear Author,I've missed him so much and I'd hoped he be there when I came home. I just didn't want to expect too much. After so many years of being just friends, we became more and then I got my orders. Before we could start anything, it felt like everything was over. But he came, he's here! I just couldn't contain myself and ran right into his arms.Can someone please tell me how these two began, how they survived apart and what's next? :)Photo Description: Military homecoming: Marine dressed in fatigues greets his civilian lover with a passionate embrace, arms and legs wrapped around him, as they kiss passionately, framed by a large, vibrant American Flag behind them.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" 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.Read the story here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 6.

    or maybe all three. Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago’s Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent breakup. When the two spy each other, magic blooms. But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he’s ever known? And ... will it even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions?

    The day he acknowledged to himself that he was gay was also the day he vowed to stay in the closet in order to chase his dreams. The problem is, he never counted on Mason Atley.Sean showed rookie short stop Mason Atley the ropes, both on the field and off. The two forged a friendship which continued as both of them moved through the ranks of the farm system and into the majors. Unfortunately, there’s always been one secret Mason never felt he could share with Sean. Until now.For seven years, Sean lived with the fact that he loved a man who would never reciprocate. When Mason admits that he’s always known he’s bisexual but has never allowed himself to pursue a relationship with a man, will Sean be able to put aside his reservations about starting a relationship with the friend he’d always assumed was straight? And more importantly, will they be able to find a way to stay together when their careers keep them apart more than they can be together?

    Dealing with drug dealers, hookers, and mentally ill suspects on a daily basis is his stock and trade. He once loved his job with the LAPD but three years ago, he put his trust in the wrong man and he’s been paying the price ever since. Refusing to work with a partner after the first one nearly killed him, Pope is jaded, still hurting, and hanging onto the career he once adored by a thread. Homeland Security Investigator Felix Jbarra is a fresh-faced young agent with a bright future in the DHS ahead of him. Deeply closeted, Felix hides his sexual orientation from his huge Catholic family which brings him terrible guilt and grief. One night in a back-room nightclub encounter, he connects with a man who inexplicably makes him want to confess everything. Assigned to help shut down an elusive child sex trafficking ring, Felix instinctively knows he’ll need turn to the more experienced detective for help if he and his partner want to crack this case. In the first book of the brand new Thin Blue Line series, join Felix and Pope in this exciting adventure as their worlds collide on the mean streets and in between the sheets… Thin Blue contains a sneak peek at Order & Anarchy (The Thin Blue Line series Book 2) ** Please Note** If you’ve read the Death and Destruction series, Lincoln Snow, McBride M. McCallahan, Jarrett Evans-Wolfe, and Thayne Evans-Wolfe also play ongoing roles in this new series. Never fear, Jarrett probably won’t be base jumping off any more buildings… probably.

    And he does... in his dreams. But when they insist Sam bring his partner to the annual Labor Day family reunion, his options are to either admit it was all a lie or find a stand-in in a hurry. The trouble is that his lies have all been based on one very real man.Ben Matheny has been hurt before. When he's bribed into playing a part by his friends, he fleshes out Sam's dreams, but it's like flying too close to the sun. He's always had a crush on Sam, and now they're going to the Hamptons to spend a weekend pretending they're lovers, everything is getting harder.When Ben uncovers another lie Sam has told - that Ben is every bit as rich as Sam is - things begin to unravel. If Sam isn't happy with who Ben is, Ben can't stick around to get burned again.With their hearts on the line, the two must fight for their dreams as the pressure mounts. It would be so easy to admit that it was all a sham, but some dreams are worth the risk.

    Leo doesn’t kiss him. He is on fire, though, which is a good look. Austin can almost imagine he can see past the man’s gaze, into his mind and the things he’s thinking. The hand on his shoulder feels hot as a brand. “Tonight?” The single word sounds as if it takes a great effort to say. They say artists are passionate. They feel more, they want more… and they hurt more. Austin Key is a working hard to become a star animator. A college graduate working freelance, he has a passion for his work and a dedication to doing things the right way – even when it comes to the one-night stands he picks up in college bars across the city. Feeling a bit directionless and alone since graduation, Austin is desperate to land a steady job, searching for a chance to start over… when an ex unexpectedly enters the picture. Leo Lockhart didn’t mean to return to his college town. In this city, he had been branded a playboy and a heartbreaker, even though all he truly wanted was to find something real. Running out of rent money and time, he runs into Austin and decides that once and for all, he’s going to make things right. Austin had promised himself not to ever let Leo back into his life again, but Leo isn’t the same guy that broke his heart in college. He seems to know exactly when Austin is feeling vulnerable or unsure. He gives Austin the space he needs, no questions asked, and is somehow always there to put him at ease with his quick wit and smile. Somehow, despite their painful history, they seem to just work. It’s not long before Austin and Leo are drawn too close to each other, ending up in bed after a night out drinking. The old flame is fanned into a fire – until Austin wakes up sober, terrified of what he’s done. He proposes a truce: a relationship without feelings. Nights only. The only problem is, Austin isn’t sure he can keep it that way. With their history dangling over their heads, their relationship complicates further as a former classmate gets involved. As their time together begins to draw to a close, one of them might have to do something drastic – before they lose their chance forever. This 77,000-word gay love story will leave MM romance fans breathless as two men reacquaint with one another in every way possible. Steamy, sensual bedroom action makes this gay novel suitable for adults only.

    When friendship turns to love, it’s up to Paolo to convince him second chances are worth the pain.Luis Pope is back on the street after a six year stretch in prison, but life on the outside seems just out of reach, especially when the whole neighbourhood knows his face for all the wrong reasons.Paolo’s temper makes it hard to keep staff, and he knows Luis’s rep all too well. But his nonno believes in redemption, and Luis isn’t the tough guy Paolo remembers. Prison has left its mark, inside and out, and all the kindness in the world can’t fix the three inch scar on Luis’s skull.And it can’t keep ghosts locked up. Luis’s the best worker Paolo’s ever had, and Luis’s happier than he’s ever been. But his old life doesn’t want to stay in the past. Trouble comes to call, and when it makes him an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Paolo safe hurts the most.Redemption is an angsty, standalone MM romance novel, with second chances, found family, friends-to-lovers, and buckets of hurt/comfort themed loveliness.

    It takes a hunky Dom to show him just what he’s been missing.After Kyle’s partner of five years leaves him for another man on the night of their housewarming party, the shy, early-thirties carpenter needs to do a major reassessment of his life in addition to raising some serious cash. With no one to help him pay the lease on his Los Angeles condo, he worries how he’ll survive. His best friend sets up a meeting with one of the Doms and partners at Kiss of Leather, a gay BDSM club being built as a premier destination for those who want the best of the best.Master Gavin not only wants the best—he demands it. When he meets Kyle, he assumes that part of the builder’s reticence to share anything personal with him must be due to his experiences with an abusive former Master. Not one to back down from a challenge, Gavin determines to break through the walls surrounding the beautiful man he can’t get out of his mind. He’s hopeful that once he convinces Kyle to sign an initial contract, Kyle might be the first sub to open up his heart.Misunderstandings and accusations almost destroy everything between them before they have a real chance to begin. However, the true obstacle becomes not only whether Kyle will embrace BDSM as a lifestyle, but also whether he can handle a full-time D/s relationship with a big, bad, scary Dom who’s as sexy as hell.

     As a librarian, I spend all day around novels, so I know the rule: when a mysterious, sexy stranger comes to your rescue, you fall right into his arms. But Hawthorne isn’t just my savior—he’s a PI on a case, and I’m his next point of interest. Someone wants me to sell my childhood home so they can build fancy condos in its place. I’m not moving. So they’re trying to force me out, and I’m feeling the heat. Nobody believed me until Hawthorne, and he’s stepping up to be my knight in suit-and-tie. Those handsome features and sculpted body come with a sharp mind—and a dirty one. Hawthorne’s going to save my home, and he won’t stop until I’m satisfied. I’m innocent, but this PI might change that. HAWTHORNE: This case is in my hands, but I can’t keep them off James. I don’t usually end up rescuing librarians while on a stakeout. Of course, James isn’t your typical librarian—he’s anything but quiet once we’re in the bedroom. I can’t take my eyes off him, and not just because he’s got a face to die for. James might be the key to the case I’m investigating. I’m hunting the crook who ruined my brother—the same guy who wants to steal James’s house. He can’t get James to sell, so his tactics have turned underhanded and illegal. But James won’t be coerced. Not while I’ve got his back. I’m usually reserved, but James and I are electric together, and not just when he’s under my sheets. As the pressure builds, so do my feelings for him, and that pressure needs to be released—soon. I’m leaving no stone unturned, and no shirt unripped. This is the first book in the Hightower Heat series. It can be enjoyed as a standalone with no cliffhanger. Readers can expect an extra spicy MM romance with several steamy scenes. Heat level: 10.

    A throng of sugar-frenzied kids might be enough to send this uptight photographer back into the darkroom permanently. Inappropriate thoughts about his far-too-attractive—and far-too-young—assistant aren’t helping fight that urge to hide, either.For Noah Hawkins, adulting is a snap. Too bad relationships aren’t. With his business temporarily closed for repairs, he’s happy to help his sister out of a jam, even if the costume he’s given to wear borders on obscene. Constantly being mistaken for a teenager is no treat either, especially when he discovers his temporary new co-worker is sexy as hell and 15 years his senior.Can Noah convince Jamison that age is just a number? Or will Jamison resist the gift Santa seems to be handing him on a platter?

    Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor — the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania seeking reconciliation, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie worries that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. But despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.