Bartender Jay Hinshaw recognizes Patrick's leashed ferocity and offers him exactly what he thinks Patrick wants: an outlet for his pent-up frustration. But Patrick's a complicated guy, and getting what he wants only scratches the surface of what he needs.

    His writing career is on the skids. His love life is nonexistent. A stalker is driving him crazy. And his cat is a pain in the ass.Then Robert orders a chimichanga platter at a neighborhood restaurant, and his life changes—just like that.Dario Martinez isn’t having such a great existence either. He needs money for college. His shoes are falling apart. His boyfriend’s a dick. And he has a crap job as a busboy.Then a stranger orders a chimichanga platter, and suddenly life isn’t quite as depressing. But it’s the book in the busboy’s back pocket that really gets the ball rolling. For both our heroes. That and the black eye and the forgotten bowl of guacamole. Who knew true love could be so easily ignited or that the flames would spread so quickly?But when Robert’s stalker gets dangerous, our two heroes find a lot more to occupy their time than falling in love. Staying alive might become the new game plan.

    Two years since Kim vanished from his life without a word. Kim was the first boy he’d ever kissed. The only person he’s been in love with. He’d thought they were starting something when he showed his feelings on prom night, and they shared their perfect messy kiss, but he’d been wrong. He never saw Kim again. Until tonight when joy riders crash into the warehouse complex where he works. Kim’s life is a mess. For two years he’s been involved with a criminal gang, trying to protect his mum from harm. He knows he has nothing to offer. But seeing Tommy again gives him the strength to try. If only Tommy wasn’t leaving the day after tomorrow to go traveling around the world. If only tonight wasn’t all they had.author's note: Please note, you don't need to have read the short free story 'The First Boy He Ever Kissed' before you read this one, as I've included it in this story (the short free story was only available for 10 days for the Winter Wonderland giveaway and I didn't want readers to miss out).

    Flying cross country to be the best man in his best friend’s wedding probably isn’t the best idea, right? Forced back into the closet after being rejected by his family, Justice has given up on the idea of finding acceptance and love. He has allowed his disorder and his troubled past to keep him from taking a chance, but love might just find him where he least expects it… in Seattle.Sailor and charter boat captain Nic Valentine is still reeling from the unexpected death of his father, when the man of his dreams—literally—falls into his lap. He thinks he’ll never see the man again, but fate has other plans. Nic tries to resist the charms of adorably quirky, nervous Justice, because he has no desire to get tangled up with another closet case. But when life keeps throwing them together, will Nic decide that Justice might be a keeper after all?

    But before they parted ways, they spent one experimental night together, becoming more than just friends. Now, just a few years later, out and proud Dev is a promising young director who is asked to do a feature on his old soccer coach and mentor, a man he greatly admired. The only thing is, taking the job would mean interviewing many of his old teammates – including the now professional player, Elliot Gates. It’s been years since they last spoke, but that doesn’t mean he’d forgotten his former best friend. Or their steamy time together. Elliot is living in London, playing for the Spurs, when he gets a surprising email from Dev asking him to participate in the documentary. Despite how long it’s been since they’d spoken, he certainly hasn’t forgotten about his handsome college friend, either. Still, Elliot lives with his girlfriend Jemma now, and isn’t sure meeting Dev again would be such a good idea. But the memory of their final encounter has never left his head, and remembering it now is bringing some of his old feelings back to the surface. Could it be that Elliot had run from something for all the wrong reasons, and chosen a path in his life that has kept him from true happiness? It might be time to find out. More Than the Ball is a stand-alone gay romance novel and ends happily ever after, with no cliffhanger.

    When Jesse meets third-year law student Aadon at the library where he works, their mutual attraction is instant and obvious.Despite the sparks, they just can't seem to make it work. Aadon is mired in guilt over his inability to help his older brother, damaged by events far too similar to Jesse’s past. Jesse is stuck in his own desperate wish to forget the painful shadow that continues to threaten him and any hope of a happy future.The only way to move forward is for Jesse to acknowledge he’s broken and for Aadon to accept he can’t make him better.

    Liam McGregor is a well respected astrophysicist, astrobiologist and geologist, and he's only twenty-three. With no family, few friends, and no romantic prospects, he's gotten used to being alone. Focusing on his various scientific projects, and taking care of his decidedly unusual cat help keep the loneliness at bay.Jareth Manning is starting life over, a new town, new job, after the loss of his husband. The last thing he expected was for the most absentminded, and beautiful, man he'd ever seen to to take up residence in his heart. Nor did he expect to find himself a willingly humble slave to Her Imperial Highness, Empress the Cat. But Jareth has learned that love doesn't come around often, so when it does, hold onto it with both hands.Jareth is willing to be patient, if Liam is willing to take the risk, after being badly burned before.They just have to survive Liam's past returning.

    Suffering from amnesia, bound to a wheelchair with a broken arm and a broken leg, he relies on his in-home caregiver, Dane Mathis, to help him with everything from bathing to eating. Guy wants Dane to be more than just a caregiver, but Dane keeps his distance. Six months after their relationship ended, Dane Mathis drops everything to help Guy put his life back together. It’s difficult to treat Guy like a stranger, but he knows he must not give in to his deep desires. He won’t risk Guy’s anger by revealing the true nature of their relationship. Or the reality of their past together. Even so, Dane can’t help but hope that this is their second chance at love...

    This year, it’s his sister's turn to pick the vacation destination, so he ends up on a dude ranch he knows he is going to hate. What with the dirt, animals, and germs, he can’t possibly be happy. Jason McCoy is the closeted sixteen-year-old son of the ranch owners and is trying to find his place in a world that doesn't seem to fit him. He takes an interest in Ethan, shows him around, and gets him to ride a horse. When he invites Ethan camping, Ethan thinks Jason must be joking. But Ethan takes a risk, and the two boys bond under the stars. After that, Ethan and Jason are inseparable. Their friendship grows into something deeper as they begin to figure out what they want from life. But Ethan’s home is in Chicago, and the distance might be more than the two teenagers—and their blossoming relationship—can withstand.

    Losing his home, his job, and having to reinvent himself, Kellie went back to school for his certificate in massage therapy and is hired by an elite spa in West Hollywood. Though Kellie had experienced 'happy endings' in the past while getting massages from older men, he was going to abide by the rules and not get sexual with his clients.Montgomery 'Monty' Gresham, ex Navy SEAL plans to open up a SEAL training boot camp for civilians, and decides getting referrals from a celebrity club in LA would be a perfect idea. While Monty recruits members to his military training center, he meets the handsome massage therapist, Kellie Hamilton.The contact between Kellie and Monty while Monty is on the massage table instantly sends both men into a state of pure sexual arousal. In this heightened state, where two opposites certainly are attracted, Kellie needs to decide if the tough thirty-eight year old ex-military man will be his Happy Ending, or if living happily ever after is just a fairy tale.

    There aren't a lot of opportunities for a man with a little extra padding around the waist and hectic work hours to find the man of his dreams. That is, until he slips and falls at the jazz festival and discovers that the way to a man's heart is through sweet treats. Dr. Nicolas Syranno is tired of dating men who order salad when he takes them out. He wants someone who takes pleasure in life the way he does, someone who isn't toothpick thin, and someone who understands his crazy work hours as an emergency room doctor. When Nicolas sees a sexy little blond slip at the jazz festival, has he found the love he has been searching for?

    Future pillar of the community. Stick in the mud. That's Aaron Fitchley, and since his father retired, leaving him in charge of the business, it's been all work, work, work. Dale Lambert is a free-spirited, responsibility-shirking charmer who has been spicing up Aaron's upstanding life since they met as kids. So when Aaron gets Dale's phone call for help at three a.m., he's sure he can handle it. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Dale in his underwear, wearing lip gloss, and handcuffed to his bed. After the initial shock, Aaron lets Dale loose and plans a hasty escape. But the cuffs quickly go back on... only this time Aaron is the one chained to the bed Now that the tables have been turned, Dale has a few things to teach Aaron about breaking the rules.

    The staff doesn't respect him, and a confrontation with the sexy but arrogant senior photographer only adds to his stress. But after Mac puts him in a situation that nearly gets him shot, Jorge realizes he doesn't know as much about being a newsman as he thought he did.Mac is frustrated by Jorge's inability to see the big picture. Journalism is about more than grammar and spell checks. When a stand-off gives him the perfect opportunity to teach Jorge a lesson, he seizes it -- but immediately regrets putting the gorgeous editor in danger.In the aftermath, Jorge earns Mac's respect. But can Mac apologize enough for his behavior -- and his inappropriate apologies that follow -- to ever earn Jorge's affection, or will he lose his chance to the police sergeant with a flirty smile?"Changing Focus" is the first of the Ashe Sentinel Connections series, and is a m/m romance.

    It washes glasses, puts dishes away, and even dusts. At least he hopes it's a cleaning-obsessed poltergeist and not his own anxieties burbling over into neat freak fits he doesn't remember. When his property manager suggests he call paranormal expert, Jack Montrose, Taro's skeptical but desperate enough to try even a ghost hunter.Jack's arrival crushes Taro's hopes of a dashing Van Helsing-style hero. Instead of an invincible hunter, he gets Ichabod Crane. As the paranormal puzzles multiply and Jack begins to suggest the entity might not be a ghostly one, Taro adds a budding friendship with Jack to his pile of anxieties. It's a race to see whether Taro's poltergeist or his relationship with the obviously-not-ace Jack will reach maximum strangeness first.Word Count: 35,454

    Between his severe Learning Disabilities, ADHD and past trauma, every day is a struggle. Three years ago, Aaron's world got a whole lot brighter thanks to his new best friend, Ryan Foster and his family. The Fosters have taken him into the fold. That is, everyone except for Ryan's Uncle TJ. When Aaron and TJ meet, sparks fly. TJ, 31, can't stand his nephew's flamboyant, in your face, blue-haired, rainbow loving, best friend. He knows he shouldn't be so judgmental but after spending five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, his patience is buried under a mountain of guilt and loss. TJ's animosity toward Aaron always stresses Aaron out going home to the Foster's for the holidays but they are the only family he has. He just needs to put up with TJ. He can do that, right? When something happens that neither one wants to acknowledge, it may just be the catalyst needed for the sparks to explode. What happens when TJ lets himself see the real Aaron? And, can Aaron let TJ past his defenses, when he's barely holding on. ~ 33,000 words – gay romance, heat level low.