He doesn't know I'm gay and I'm really scared what will happen when he finds out. Especially when he finds out that I don't want to be just friends anymore.Josh and Trey have been friends since they were kids, but Josh moved away when they were both seventeen. Their bond has been thinned by distance, by the weight of secrets withheld and a trust betrayed. For years now they've only exchanged short emails and occasional calls, over too many miles to cross. Trey's been willing to live with that, even encouraged it. Because letting Josh get close again might make keeping Trey's secrets impossible.When Josh shows up on Trey's doorstep with a request for help, it could well be an unmitigated disaster. But Trey finds he can't say no. This is Josh asking Trey to lend a hand. Josh, the guy who still pushes every other man Trey ever looked at to second place. So Trey's going to take the chance and say yes. He's going to grab a few days with the straight guy he never stopped loving, take what crumbs he can get, and damn the consequences. Although those consequences may not turn out to be the ones Trey's expecting.Photo Description: Two dark-haired young men share a playful moment beside the ocean, framed against a backdrop of waves crashing on a rocky shore. Both men are laughing, wet and tanned, wearing only Speedos. The slimmer man reaches forward to snag the waistband of his friend's swim trunks, pulling them back in a way that exposes part of the other man's taut, rounded ass. The more muscular man reaches back with a hand planted on his friend's close-cropped head, shoving him away.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 online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 8.

    They were only teens, and despite many obstacles, they fell in love. But young loves drift apart.Hugo hasn’t been in love since. Dating is a chore, his drag queen persona and acting gigs are always an issue, so he’s just done with men . . . until he runs into Kevin at the lake.Years after their last kiss, the spark is still strong, but life is complex. Kevin lives in the shadow of divorce and is navigating single fatherhood. Plus no one knows he’s bisexual.Rekindling their romance is easy away from the demands of the city, but what about when real life kicks in?Does their love stand a chance this second time around?Spark is book one in the North Star Trilogy, a love story that spans twenty years. Friendship, single fatherhood, family life, angst, hurt/comfort, past abuse themes, medical caregiving, as well as life’s celebrations and challenges are found in this novel. Family is central to this saga that will stick with you long after you finish the series.

    It’s easier not to try anymore…Ten years after leaving his small Minnesota hometown in his rearview mirror for what Nolan Grainger was sure would be the last time, life has decided to throw the talented musician a curveball and send him back to the town he lived in but was never really home.At twenty-eight, Nolan has traveled the world as a successful concert violinist with some of the best symphonies in the country. But success breeds envy, and when Nolan’s benefactor and lover decides Nolan has flown high enough, he cruelly clips Nolan’s wings. The betrayal and ensuing scandal leaves the violinist’s career in shambles and with barely enough money to start fresh somewhere beyond his vindictive ex’s powerful reach. But just as he’s ready to get his life back on track, Nolan gets the call he’s been dreading.After a stroke leaves his father a partial invalid, duty-bound Nolan returns to Pelican Bay and a life he’s spent years trying to forget. When he’s forced to use the last of his own money to keep from losing the family home, desperation has him turning to the one man he’d hoped never to see again…Even if I could speak, there wouldn’t be anyone there to listen…Pelican Bay’s golden boy, Dallas Kent, had the quintessential perfect life. Smart, gorgeous, and popular, the baseball phenom was well on his way to a life filled with fame and fortune. But more importantly, he had a one-way ticket out of Pelican Bay and far away from the family who used love as currency and whose high expectations were the law of the land. But a stormy night, sharp highway curve and one bad decision changed everything, leaving Dallas with nothing.Because the accident that took his parents, his future and his crown as the boy who could do no wrong, also stole his voice.Despised for the horrific wreck that ended the lives of two of Pelican Bay’s most respected residents, Dallas has retreated to a secluded stretch of land where he’s found refuge in a menagerie of unwanted animals that don’t care that he once had the world at his feet or that he’ll never speak again.But when the quiet, bookish boy he wasn’t allowed to notice in school suddenly reappears ten years later at Dallas’s wildlife rehab center in desperate need of a job, Dallas is thrust back into a world he’s worked hard to escape.Dallas’s silence was supposed to send Nolan scurrying, but what if Nolan ends up being the one person who finally hears him?Will two men who’ve been fleeing from the past finally come home to Pelican Bay for good or will the silence drive them apart forever?

    After suffering yet another devastating loss, he decided to chase his dream of opening his own restaurant and was soon the proud owner of Romero’s, a hugely successful and critically acclaimed Italian restaurant, nestled in the heart of Chicago. Knowing that one more blow to his heart could destroy him, Giovanni had built walls up around his heart to protect himself. He has created strict rules for himself about the men he sleeps with, which include never exchanging names and absolutely no repeat performances. That is until he meets a young man who he finds impossible to forget. After spending the last few years travelling throughout Europe and The Mediterranean, working as an apprentice to some of the world’s top chefs, 23-year-old Caleb Greene was finally moving back home. While he had enjoyed his studies, he couldn’t wait to reunite with his big, crazy, loving family; especially his twin brother, Carter. Most importantly, he hoped to finally begin his career working as the head chef for Chicago’s most prestigious Italian restaurant, Romero’s. After a night of celebration with Carter, Caleb finds himself in a rare position, going home with a tall, dark and sexy stranger. Caleb had never had a one night stand before, but there was something about the man that drew him in. Unfortunately, the man insisted they could only be together for one night. Unable to get the intriguing young man off his mind, but resolved to let him go, Giovanni is shocked to find that Caleb has been hired as his new head chef. Working in such close proximity to each other, could he keep his carefully erect walls in place and protect his heart or would Caleb have the strength to tear those walls down, setting Giovanni free?

    Growing up with a cold, unfeeling father and unstable mother has taught him exactly what he doesn’t want out of life or love. The troubled young man prefers a solitary life and is content to keep it that way until a campus emergency saddles him with an unwanted roommate.Popular, wholesome, straight Nick Thompson is far more temptation than Eric’s prepared for, but Nick’s warm, easygoing manner gradually cracks through Eric’s prickly protective shell.After Eric suffers a traumatic attack, their friendship gives way to an intense passion. Eric’s no stranger to casual sex, but what he feels for Nick is something deeper, and more fragile.Independent Eric doesn't know the first thing about being in a relationship, much less with a lover who can't even admit he's gay. But conservative Nick can't seem to find his way out of his own personal closet. 'Rock', meet 'Hard-Place'.

    When the countdown to adopting his own dog is unexpectedly put on hold, Simon turns to the PetShare app to find the fluffy TLC he’s been missing. Meeting a grumpy children’s book illustrator who needs a dog walker isn’t easy for the man whose persistent anxiety has colored his whole life, but Jack Matheson’s menagerie is just what Simon needs.Four dogs, three cats and counting. Jack’s pack of rescue pets is the only company he needs. But when a bad fall leaves him with a broken leg, Jack is forced to admit he needs help. That the help comes in the form of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen is a complicated, glorious surprise.Being with Jack—talking, waking, making out—is a game changer for Simon. And Simon’s company certainly…eases the pain of recovery for Jack. But making a real relationship work once Jack’s cast comes off will mean compromise, understanding and lots of love.

    That was all. To show the world Mason Bloom could be more than a small-town doctor living a medium-sized life. Private doctor on a swanky island with a posh resort? Check.But from the moment I set foot on this island, nothing went according to plan.I didn’t expect to find the resort falling apart.I didn’t expect the people here to be so charming and crazy and welcoming and real.I didn’t expect legends about shipwrecks and buried treasure.And I definitely didn’t expect Fenn Reardon, the island’s incredibly attractive, incredibly infuriating, incredibly male resident tour guide, to become the one person I can’t live without.Thirty-five’s a bit late for me to realize I'm not straight, though, right? And I have big dreams that won’t fit on Whispering Key, anyway—dreams that do not include tying myself to a tiny island stuck in the past or to a man who refuses to think about the future. My head’s telling me I have to leave Whispering Key… My heart’s telling me there might be treasure on this island after all.

    They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.Flash forward twenty years.Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers, and loves. But something is missing .... Travis is the first to figure it out. He's still in love with Craig, and come what may, he's going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown. Told in narrative, letters, checklists, and more, this is the must-read novel for anyone who's wondered what ever happened to that first great love.

     Sloane: I know I can be a grumpy bastard, and I’m not the easiest man to deal with, but you’d think my best friend would trust me. We don’t keep secrets, even about our love lives. That’s what I thought until I found out Dean was seeing someone. I don’t like it...don’t ask me why. But there’s more to the story than I thought, and now I have to deal with feelings I didn’t even know were possible for me. Dean: I would not recommend being in love with your straight best friend. I met Sloane in Basic Training and fell head over heels. Years later and a deployment under each of our belts, it’s still not easy. All I’ve wanted for six years, six fucking years, was Sloane. Maybe it’s time I moved on. I’ll never have the same feelings for anyone else, but I’ll never get what I want from Sloane, right? After one slightly drunken night, will Dean and Sloane ever be able to get back to what they’d been, or has everything between them changed forever?

    That’s the way I want it. Making you feel like we know each other—like we could go grab a beer sometime—is part of my job. Maybe the most vital part. It doesn’t hurt that I’m easy on the eyes, single at 35, and born richer than sin. My aesthetic matters much more than it should, but all the better for my worthy cause. And it’s a worthy cause. I’ve made an art out of making you feel good, and my influence makes you want to be good. Good like me. You think you know me, but you don’t. Everyone has secrets. Mine could cost me everything.So I’m a fortress. No one’s ever even gotten close. Until tonight.  See that man, the tall guy dripping on the bow of my yacht? The one I just pulled from the ocean? He’s the one who’s going to cost me everything.***Book Two, Adore, will release November 11th.

    Especially when it involves spending five nights in his home state of Texas with his dysfunctional family. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d been laid off from his job at the bank and was working at a coffee shop to make ends meet, he’s going through a romantic dry spell. With no date and no exciting news to bring back home, Toby is dreading his family reunion. Liam moved to Los Angeles with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. Instead, he manages a coffee shop and can’t quite manage to land a role that will get him his big break. When his coworker and friend, Toby, tells him about his dilemma, Liam comes up with a plan he thinks is genius. What better way to get acting experience than to play the part of his best friend’s boyfriend. Toby isn't quite convinced Liam's plan will work, but with enough arm-twisting, he's will to give it a shot. After all, he has nothing to lose. To everyone's surprise, Toby's family fall head-over-heels for Liam. He plays the boyfriend role so well, it's hard to remember it's all just an act. As the lines blur between reality and role-playing, Toby and Liam have to face tough questions about their friendship. Because if this boyfriend thing is just an act, then why does it feel so real? And why can't they keep their hands off each other? The Boyfriend Act is a fun, sexy and sweet romance novel. It is a standalone, has no cliffhanger and a very satisfying happily ever after.

    There’s just one problem: The show only features couples, and Nat is single! How can bashful Nat get a fake boyfriend quickly? Owen's meddling ex won't leave him alone, constantly giving him advice after their breakup. All Owen wants to do is sit on the pier and people-watch with his Boston terrier, Mr. Thurgood, but when he hears that Nat needs a fake boyfriend for TV, he thinks the idea is just the ticket to get his ex off his back. It’ll look like he’s getting on with his life, the perfect revenge! And Mr. Thurgood really likes Nat--that's a good sign, right? It should have been the perfect fake relationship...except Nat can’t stop thinking about Owen. He wishes he were brave enough to ask the sarcastic, confident guy out in real life. But Owen puts on this shallow, superficial act, and it’s hard to get underneath it to the real person. Meanwhile, Owen is scared of getting hurt again, and feels like Nat’s hesitation around him means Nat secretly hates him. But there's no more hesitation when Owen accidentally walks in on Nat’s shower, and everything gets very real, very quickly. Now things are tricky, because they’re falling for each other, but on camera they have to act like they’ve known each other forever! But between Owen’s meddling ex trying to pull them apart, and their own insecurities, can they keep it together, or will their fake relationship end in a real break up on national TV? All For Show is a gay romantic comedy with a lot of steam and no angst (okay, a little bit of angst)! There's no cliffhanger and no cheating, but there is an on-camera HEA! (And Mr. Thurgood gets lots of snow peas because they are his favorite treat.)

    But in the six months since their break up, Craig's managed to find a new lover—a woman—and wants Jon to be a different kind of best man…at his wedding.Reasoning that the only way to get over one man is to get under another, Jon heads for a local club to get drunk and laid. Bartender Liam Sable is more than willing to help with both.Their one night stand turns into a rebound fling which enables Jon to move on. Craig, however, is having second thoughts about the break-up. While inconvenient and annoying, Craig’s antics are nothing compared to the danger posed to Jon and Liam's relationship by another, more sinister threat...

    It doesn't go well.When they reach junior high they have a truce in place and Tal, a new guy in their class, acts as a catalyst, bringing them together as best friends. Together all through high school, they survive school plays, Tal's girlfriends, Silas' boyfriend and Warren's endless studying. College is more of the same, until Silas and Tal coax Warren out of the closet.For Warren nothing changes, but for Silas the world has unexpectedly changed forever. He had no idea he was in love with his best friend at all, and when he finally tells Warren the reaction is another surprise.Prove it.Warren knows all about Silas, knows the tricks, the games, the very best and the very worst about him, and Warren loves him back. But Warren also knows that if they're going to be together it's got to be forever, and he can't just risk everything for what might be another one of Silas' whims.Silas has to prove he loves Warren, and he wants to do just that. But how do you win the heart of someone who knows you better than anyone else?

    Not wishing to saddle himself with royal and meddlesome in-laws, and a wife he would have no desire to bed, Prince Edward goes to Heritage Breeders, and finds far more than just a warm body to sate his lust and carry on his lineage. Percy is the result of a master DNA architect designing himself his own personal sex slave and breeder. Yet when his creator and Master dies, leaving Percy alone at the mercy of the callous stable masters and the new owner of Heritage, he fears his future. Afraid he'll be bought by a wretched old man or a deviant monster, Percy is terrified when he is dragged from his cell and presented to the most prestigious client Heritage has ever welcomed...a Cassian Royal. Prince Edward is immediately infatuated with the shy, nervous and enchantingly beautiful Percy, and claims him for his own. Yet not everyone is pleased by a royal purchasing a breeder, especially one like Percy, and tensions rise both in Heritage and in the palace. Torn between desire, duty, a king's command and the innermost desires of their hearts, Edward and Percy are set on path that is anything but easy. Can Percy trust Edward with his heart as he does his body? Can Edward keep an angry king and unseen enemies away from the young slave who is steadily stealing his heart? And what happens when Nature takes its course, and sex leads to more than just pleasure? A 50k+ word novella, 160 pages, book one in a series. 18+ adult readers, contains sexual situations of male/male sex. Lots of sex. Collaring, master/slave. *Updated and Revised*