Any Closer


Mary Calmes - 2011
    After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.

Honesty and Artifice


S.H. Allan - 2014
    After years of isolation and secrets, he's unprepared for the feelings that Eric Atherton awakens in him. While Eric recuperates, the two men grow closer, and it doesn’t take long for Boaz to begin to question whether his reasons for remaining alone are good enough. But Eric has secrets of his own, ones that bring grave danger, and could end what has been building between them, maybe their very lives. For the men to know if they have a chance together, they'll have to brave their fears and face demons from the past. In the lonely and vast ocean waters of Alaska, the two men only have themselves to rely on. Can either man trust the other enough to survive the coming storm? Or will Boaz's one chance for love be over before it even began?Genre: action/suspense/adventureTags: first time, masturbation, past abuse, strong HFN, Alaska, series, isolation, boatsContent Warnings: allusions to childhood abuseThis story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.The original prompt:Dear Author,I found him in the edge of the surf one morning, on one of my many solitary treks down the beach. Naked, battered, unconscious— just another bit of discarded flotsam on the sand.Who is he? How did he get here? Is he telling me the truth? Can I trust him at all? Can I help him— or can he help me? Or maybe we can even save each other…Photo Description: A muscular, dark-haired man lies prone on a sandy beach, waves frothing and swirling around him. He is naked save for a tiny bikini or underwear that is barely clinging to the round globes of his backside. He also has on a small, dark, braided bracelet. If not for a mound of sand beneath his head, his face would be immersed in the water. He appears to be unconscious.

A Broken Kind of Life


Jamie Mayfield - 2013
    His life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear, but he perseveres and starts college, determined to move on. Then Aaron gets assigned to work with Spencer Thomas for his programming project. Aaron doesn’t want Spencer to think he’s a freak, but as he gets to know his new deaf friend, he figures out he doesn’t need to be “normal.” If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough to find his footing again. Or so Aaron thinks until his parents begin talking about institutionalizing him to give his brothers a more stable life. He searches desperately to find a way to cope or even to fake normalcy. But his new shrink’s instability makes conquering his demons that much more difficult, and his attraction to Spencer threatens to send Aaron spinning out of control. Adapted as a YA edition of the novel Aaron by J.P. Barnaby. 100% of the author's royalties are being donated to help homeless LGBT kids find safe shelter.

Up!


Al Stewart - 2018
    He recovers from bitter disappointment and gradually life returns to a regular rhythm. Safe and predictable. Every day he gains confidence, but with health comes boredom. From the window ledge, he watches people outside and wishes he could be like them. There's another side to Luke. Underneath his bed are five hidden pairs of jeans with matching Dr Martens: yellow, purple, striped, green and tartan. Some days he feels the itch to get them out. Nope. Those days are gone. One day, an amazing thing happens. Dynamic blog artist Formaldehyde Bob comes to town with an exhibition of light and dark! Luke has crushed on him since being fifteen, idolising the man and his unusual creations. Something about the art calls to Luke like nothing else, makes him believe there might after all be someone out there who thinks in the same way. A soul mate. A bird with a similar song. No. Luke isn't going to go and see Formaldehyde Bob. He isn't. Because he's happy with his monotonous lot and doesn't want to see hope sliding down a mountain of sand. Will Luke take a chance and visit Formaldehyde Bob? Can the jeans ever be worn again? Does grumpy Barbara ever smile? And the most important question: is there any magic left in the world? Find out in this snowy tale of young love in the most unexpected places. Content warning: references to self-harm, mental illness.

Private Truths


C.B. Lewis - 2016
    He approaches Edward Marsden, Viscount Routhsley, a known playboy and philanthropist, about sponsorship for his charity. To his surprise, Edward isn’t the shallow pleasure-seeker everyone assumes, and he and Edward share many interests. Little by little, they are drawn together in spite of the different worlds they come from.But for two men in the public eye, happiness won’t be so easily achieved. Edward fears coming out as gay will shift attention from his charity work, and Jack worries his relationship with the aristocrat will undermine the integrity of his foundation. They come under intense scrutiny, leading to an inevitable clash between Jack and the press who won’t stop harassing them. As what they’ve built comes crashing down, Jack and Edward must make a choice: continue presenting the facade the public expects, or expose the private truths in their hearts so they can be together.

Touching Evil


Rob Knight - 2006
    After an accident many years ago that left him in a coma, Greg woke up to find that he could touch things and know what had happened to them. Too bad he can't control the talent enough to keep it from overwhelming him. He's lived with it long enough that it he can make it day by day, but when he starts being stalked, he has to depend on his friends to help him cope. The only good thing his gift has brought him is Artie, an overprotective cop with a psychotic cat and a great bedside manner. Artie is all about helping Greg cope, and about finding out who's threatening his friend. Through grisly gifts and terrifying attacks, Artie stays by Greg's side. Even ordering take-out can be an ordeal for Greg, and Artie is happy to run interference. Greg hasn't touched anyone without pain in years, but with Artie he finds he has someone to lean on, even as the stalker finds new ways to torment him. Can the two of them find a way to solve the mystery of Greg's tormenter before one of them gets hurt?

Always MJ


S.J.D. Peterson - 2012
    From the time he woke up until the exact minute he crawled back into bed, his day was set. He wasn't the kind of man to seek out other men in chat rooms. He certainly wasn't the type to fall in love with someone he only knew from typed words. After a six-month online affair, Matty agrees to meet Jay in Florida for a weekend getaway. Only Jay isn't what Matty expected; although, perhaps he should have known it was too good to be true. After all, Jay's screen name AlwaysMJ stands for 'Always making jokes'--or does it?

Left on St. Truth-be-Well


Amy Lane - 2013
    Then Carson can go back to waiting tables and being productively bitter about his life. He didn’t count on finding a dead body in Stassy’s bed, and he certainly didn’t count on the guy in the flip-flops and cutoffs at the local café helping him get to the bottom of the crime.But Dale Arden is no ordinary surfing burnout—he’s actually a pretty sharp guy with a seductive voice and a bossy streak wider than the Florida panhandle. When he decides to boss Carson right into his bed, Carson realizes Stassy's not the only one who's been lost. Carson likes to think he’s got his life all figured out, that sex with guys is your basic broom-closet transaction; he may just have to revise his priorities, because nobody plans on taking a left at St. Truth-be-Well and finding love at the Bates Parrot Hotel.

Submission Times Two


Claire Thompson - 2009
    There's just one small problem-they're both subs. To work around this, they agree to find their own Doms for play, offering their submission and their bodies to would-be Masters, but leaving their hearts at home. The setup works fine, until the day Ethan meets a hot Dom named Maestro. For the first time, Ethan finds himself keeping secrets from his lover. And Maestro has secrets of his own. Unrequited passion and sizzling hot D/s lead to the three agreeing to a play scene that ends up ensnaring them all in something more powerful than any of them had dreamed of. Can two subs submit to a man who would claim not only their bodies, but their hearts and minds? Or will the intensity of a D/s menage break their world apart?

Sebastian's Journal


Eden Elsworth - 2014
     From the moment he lays eyes on Nathan, a homeless young man with a secret past he has hidden from for years; Sebastian is captivated by the beautiful teenager. Having escaped his abusive home, Nathan lives on the streets, selling himself to survive. When he hits rock bottom, he turns to the only person who might be able to help him: Sebastian. As Sebastian devotes himself to Nathan’s recovery, he falls deeply in love with the damaged young man. But Sebastian’s domineering father is determined to separate his son from the man he loves.

It Was Always You


Cardeno C. - 2016
     Featuring seven brand new novellas, each answering the question—what happens when the one meant for you was right there all along?

How We Began


Edie Danford - 2015
    A smile across a counter at a coffee shop or video store. A secret revealed in a song from another place and time. Or in a love ballad crooned at a high school dance. In this anthology of never-before-published sweet LGBTQ+ stories, six authors explore the beginnings of love between young and new adult couples. All proceeds will support The Trevor Project's work with crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.

Something Different


S.A. Reid - 2011
    His wife is cold, his children are distant, and he’s desperate for one night of self-indulgence. One night of real pleasure. So he heads to notorious Brixton Park seeking a prostitute, so divorced from his own needs, he isn’t even sure of his type. A Rent BoyJames Campbell is one trick away from life on the street. Trapped in the world’s oldest profession, he long ago gave up on breaking free. When he sees Michael on a bench in Brixton Park, he doesn’t take no for an answer. James knows he can provide all the pleasure an unhappy, repressed man needs.Something DifferentThat first night leads to an affair so deep, so honest and challenging, neither Michael nor James can predict its end. Each tryst brings them a little closer, sampling every kind of pleasure until nothing is off the table. Not even love… Trigger warning: child sexual abuse.Warning: this is an erotic m/m romance. The book contains frank language, adult situations and graphic sex.Note: the author would like to thank the talented and incredibly kind Rebecca Emin for her assistance with the second edition. All correct references to modern life in London belong to her. All errors, alas,belong to me.

My Lupine Lover


Stormy Glenn - 2009
    He just never expected his mate to find him. He is captivated by the sweet and giving nature of Sasha, and Sasha is stunned by the way Vadim seems to respect his omega status. Little did Vadim realize that by claiming Sasha, his entire life would be changed forever.Vadim never wanted to be the alpha of his own pack. He avoided it at all costs, even if it meant appearing inadequate to his own pack. But, in a bid to save his newly claimed mate, Vadim does the one thing he has always tried to avoid. He takes on Sasha's abusive alpha and wins, becoming the new alpha of Sasha's pack. Can he take the control of an isolated pack of werewolves and still keep his mate safe?

Catch Me When I Fall


John Wiltshire - 2014
    Unfortunately, the presence of this beautiful creature stirs passions in Jake that should have remained buried in the mountains of Afghanistan.Why has Gabriel come to earth? Is he being entirely truthful about his mission? Gabriel's presence forces Jake to make the hardest decision of his life: rekindle a relationship left bruised by the Taliban, or take a leap of faith on the promise of a creature made of sunlight and love.