He fears his relatives will put him through another round of criticism for his foolish choices and his nonexistent love life. Several mishaps during his short journey to his parents’ house don’t bode well. But along the way he meets impossibly gorgeous Gio DiPietro—and maybe it’s time for Nate’s risk-taking impulses to turn out well for a change. A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Advent Calendar package "Sleigh Ride".

    That’s not what the game means to him. And he especially can’t stand the Sea Dog’s new rookie, Tommy Tremblay. After all, Tommy’s the sort of player that gets under Vicki's skin.He’s reckless.He’s wild.And he won’t take anything seriously.But when a chance meeting during the offseason shows Vicki what a good boy Tommy can be for him, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep seeing him as the bad guy. After all, how can he hate the only man who has ever made him feel worthy?Tommy is tired of Vicki’s stuck-up, holier-than-thou attitude. He’s fought hard to get where he is, and he’s not going to let some tightly wound guy make him feel like he doesn’t deserve his hard-won success.So, he can’t explain why they keep falling into bed together, or why he’s starting to fall for the man he’s supposed to hate.They both know this shouldn’t work, but the more they try to push each other away, the more their souls seem to connect. The question is, will they find a way for their hearts to be vulnerable and let love in?Open Ice Hit is a steamy MM romance set between the fictional NHL teams of the Brooklyn Phantoms and the Queens Sea Dogs. It contains hate that might not quite be hate, team as found family, sick goals from soft hands, some really stinky marine animals, praise kink a mile wide, and an unexpected journey that might just be worth taking.

    He’s found his soulmate in high school social studies teacher Coleman Pierce, but while Micah’s out and proud of it, Coleman’s closet door is closed, locked, and welded shut. Stolen nights are all they’ll ever have, unless Micah can find some way to convince Cole that coming out won’t be the end of his dreams. Cole moved to Blueridge Junction to escape his past. He planned to make himself a new life, far from home and the betrayal he’d suffered there. He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes again, but he didn’t count on meeting Micah, or the intensity of the feelings the man arouses in him. But Micah is out and Cole… isn’t. And while Micah definitely revs his engines, Cole isn’t going to risk his job or his newly minted future on a relationship that might not work out. When outside forces bear upon the couple, Cole is faced with a decision. Will he keep his secret and risk losing everything, including the man he loves? Or will he stand with Micah and fight for their future? *Fight For It is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to language, themes, and adult scenes.*

    The night of the party, Jeff’s older sister tweezes, squeezes, and transforms Charlie into Charli, a curvy, curly-haired brunette in a flare-skirted red dress. The shoes are hell, but the attention Charli gets at the party—especially from Jeff—goes straight to her head. When Jeff walks her to her door at the end of the night, neither of them is quite ready to give up the act.

    He needs a new flatmate, and soon. And what better way to advertise than on the noticeboards around campus? Trouble is, someone is taking down his ads. Jacob writes to the offending thief, little expecting to be answered—and soon he finds himself in a deeper pickle: who is this Mr. X that he keeps writing to? And how can Jacob be falling for him?

    Isolated by circumstances and by the protective shield he's surrounded himself with, he wanders the streets of the West Village and gravitates toward Stonewall Inn, where the 1969 riots planted the seeds of the gay civil rights movement. Having been raped at his previous foster home, he worries about HIV and about ever being able to enjoy sex.Alex, whose parents had both been Italian, feels his lack of family keenly. As he wanders the city streets, he scrutinizes people who might also be Italian. Alex is short for Alessandro, which means defender of men; Lupo means wolf. But Alex feels fearful most of the time—fear not just of Derek, the other foster teen in his current home, but also of life in general—and wishes for the courage of his 19th century countryman, Giuseppe Garibaldi, with whose statue in Washington Square Park Alex has imaginary conversations.Then Alex meets two people who represent polar opposites: one who validates the low opinion Alex already has of himself; and another who helps him see himself in an entirely new light and teaches him that his life is worth more than a few minutes of anyone's pleasure.

    Unfortunately, his mother struggles to handle the fact he’s bisexual, regarding his sexuality with the same enthusiasm she’d normally reserve for roadkill.When she warns him not to bring someone inappropriate to his sister’s wedding, in an uncharacteristic fit of spite, Hunter decides to track down the most inappropriate date possible.Blue Hair. Tattoos. Irresistible smile. Most definitely male. There’s more chance his mother will learn to moonwalk than approve of Adam as his date.But appearances can be deceiving. And Hunter is about to learn this lesson along with the rest of his family…

    And now that he’s in college, it’s finally his turn to shine.Asher’s relationship advice column in the school newspaper is his strongest matchmaking instrument, especially when it comes to helping hopeless romantics find their soulmates.But like every heroic quest, there are a few bumps in the road and dragons to slay.There’s a damsel in distress Asher’s best friend thinks is a psychopath, a handsome prince Asher can’t stop drooling over, and a huge, mysterious roommate Asher can’t help but pester.It doesn’t matter though. Nothing will stop Asher when it comes to helping people find their true love.He’s absolutely positive everything will work out in the end.Because love is always like a fairy tale…right?* * *The main romance arc spans across all three novellas. When Red Cried Wolf contains little romance but sets up for the rest of the series.—When Red Cried Wolf is a slow-burn romance with over-the-top characters, fairy tale references, ridiculous texts, and eventually, a happy ever after.

    I imagine it again and again: Olympic champion Alex Grady. I train harder than my competitors. I’m in the rink morning, noon, and night. The lack of filter between my mouth and brain affects my ability to make friends, but I don’t have time for a social life anyway.As for a boyfriend? Forget it.So what if I’m still completely inexperienced at twenty? The Olympics are only every four years—everything else can wait.But for some inexplicable reason, I can’t stop checking out my boring new training mate Matt Savelli. Calm, collected “Captain Cardboard” is a nice guy, but even if I had time to date, Matt’s so not my type. I don’t even know what my type is!Until I do.Beneath Matt’s wholesome surface, there’s a sexy, tender man who awakens a desire in me I’ve never experienced. This is the worst possible time to be tempted. The worst possible time to let someone get close to me.This is the worst possible time to fall in love.The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews is a gay sports romance featuring grumpy/sunshine opposites attracting, sizzling first times, and of course a happy ending.

    In this case, it’s not just a lucky smoothie he’s craving—it’s the man who made it. Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, never mind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens it’s red-hot, incredible and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?

    With instructions to choose healthier meals, and get some exercise, he makes efforts to change things for the better. Sam joins his local gym, and discovers exercise isn’t as bad as he’d feared—especially when he meets gorgeous gym trainer, Luke Walker. Luke’s not only good to look at, but he’s friendly and helpful with it. When Luke smiles at him, Sam knows it’s just his job to be nice, but in his dreams it means something more. Sam’s confidence is at an all-time low, with his ballooning weight, following a failed relationship, and he’s certain Luke would never look twice at him in reality. But when he discovers Luke has been hurt, too, by an uncaring ex, and has similar insecurities, Sam realizes there might be hope for him after all.

    A cobra shifter, he’s held captive by a collector who keeps him—and other shifters—in a private harem-style “zoo” in the Libyan desert. Considered a dangerous predator by the other shifters, and little more than a boy toy to the collector, Jiri is friendless, timid, and despondent.Miksa is the collector’s latest find. But honey badgers are known for their bad attitude, fearlessness, and fighting spirit. Miksa has no doubt he’ll escape, even if it means taking the whole zoo down with him.When honey badger and cobra meet, there should be instant enmity—after all, honey badgers eat cobras—yet both men find themselves oddly drawn to the other. Romance blossoms, but can it survive captivity and beyond? In order to do so, Jiri will have to find a strength he doesn’t know he possesses and Miksa will have to open a heart long closed to anyone except his immediate family.

    When the heat rises, will they get cold feet?Getting snowed in at a remote cottage in Wales with someone he’d fancied for ages isn’t exactly how Sam expected to spend Christmas. His feelings for Ryan are pointless. Ryan’s straight—or so he thought.Until now, Ryan’s kept his feelings for Sam buried. Why ruin a friendship over what might only be gay experimentation? Playing it cool seems safer, until a cold snap makes sharing body heat vital. In their Welsh safe haven, anything seems possible.As Ryan’s reserve melts away, Sam wants more than stolen kisses under the mistletoe. But a sudden thaw means making decisions. They could face the New Year together—unless one of them gets cold feet.word count: 32,000 approx

    But when @joshfortytwo announces he’s coming to Miami for a spontaneous visit, Benji is pretty sure the left tackle (whatever that is) expects to meet a cute girl in a bikini, not an aging twink hoping to finally get his life together when he finishes massage therapy school.Josh doesn't let himself wonder about questions like:• why don't you want to ask @princessglitter if she's a girl?• why don't you tell your friends that you can't hang on Sunday nights because you've got a date to watch anime with your new BFF?• why do you call it a date?He just knows he needs to escape from the stress of having been injured just before the bowl game, and @princessglitter has somehow become his best friend.But when Josh's secrets and Benji's sex appeal smash together for forty-eight scorching hours, they're going to feel the heat from Miami to Minnesota.

    Despite a flourishing career as a defenseman for the Atlanta Venom, Tristan knows he can’t play hockey forever. One day he’ll retire—if an injury doesn’t force him to hang up his skates first. His backup plan? Finishing his business degree. But he doesn’t count on a very inappropriate attraction to his standoffish sociology professor, Sebastian Cruz.Sebastian is on the bottom rung of the Sociology Department at Georgia State. He has his sights set on tenure, and he can’t afford to be distracted, especially not by a sexy student with a body straight out of Sebastian’s dreams. No matter how much Tristan tempts him, that’s one line Sebastian won’t cross. At least not until summer classes end. After that, everything is fair game.But Sebastian lives loud and proud, and Tristan is terrified of being the first out player in the NHL. Neither of them can afford to risk their hearts when they can’t imagine a happily ever after. The problem is, unlike hockey, when it comes to love, there are no rules.