I submitted it in July 2011 and only later found out that no decisions would be made until February of 2012. So I decided to just try to forget I ever wrote this one. Then in February it was returned to me, because SMP had not received enough submissions to put out the anthology. I was going to just file it, but I thought, what the hell, I might as well post it here for a while.The anthology call was for stories about an encounter between a human and one of the Fair Folk on Midsummer’s Night. No HEA or HFN ending required. And that’s what I wrote. The end isn’t particularly dark or painful, but the guys don’t walk off into the sunset either. The fae are often complicated and seldom kind, to each other or to the humans they meet by moonlight.

    . . including the importance of a good wardrobe.Dead folks are the best friends of Quinn McConnell and Hunter Janz. Dead folks pay the bills for this team of psychic mediums . . . but just barely. To make it into the financial comfort zone, they need to outshine their competition.Quinn needs even more than that. He’s been infatuated with his partner for the nearly three years they've been together, and if he can’t either get over his crush or make something happen with Hunter, they’ll have to split up. Sexual tension and unrequited love can wreak havoc with a psychic’s reception. Salvation comes hobbling along in the form of a well-dressed but ravaged-looking man who can clearly see and converse with the dearly departed. Why? Because, he claims, he has something in common with them: He’s also been dead. The zombie who calls himself Dustin DeWind needs the psychics’ help in finding the man who made him what he is. In return, he promises to steer them toward the often elusive spirits that are their stock in trade.But something more goes on when Quinn and Hunter forge an uneasy alliance with Dustin DeWind. It seems he’s also nudging them toward each other . . .

    Being called on to find missing loved ones and rid houses of angry spirits is messy, exhausting work. But he knows it would be wrong to turn away from his gifts when he's helping so many people. Tommy Mulvaney knows something about regret, too. He regrets not being there to save his sister, Missy, the night she was pushed from a balcony by unseen hands. He regrets Missy's anger and frustration at being out of commission and unable to run the family paranormal investigation business. Mostly, he regrets that it's Missy in the wheelchair and not him. When Leo and Tommy meet at Nil-Chance, a house with a dark and sordid history, they find the attraction between them to be undeniable. But before they can explore their feelings for each other, they must defeat whatever haunts Nil-Chance... Or die trying. Genres: Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings / Psychic Phenomena / BDSM (Light) / Exhibitionism / Public Places

    What lies Outside it?Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishments for those citizens who won't conform to The City's ideals.Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires form a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?Escape won't be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past comes to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?Will he get his happily ever after?Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast?

    Quinn has suffered the pain of the ongoing contention in ways no man ever should. Once the respected son of the Vam'kir king, his life was forever altered the day his father realized a truth of which even Quinn was unaware. As the Ba'Kal ruler, it is up to Manning to seek justice for the vicious attacks the Vam'kir have perpetrated against his kind, but his very beliefs are called into question when he discovers his mate is also his enemy. To keep Quinn safe, he must learn to trust in the impossible--that love might exist beyond boundaries, for failure means the end of his future and the rest of his race.

    One Curse. Zero Time. A century ago a spiteful witch cursed Edmund. Ever since, he has lived as an immortal house cat--short one life. Anselm is a mildly depressed vampire with a soft spot for the feline he calls friend. They live together as equals, companions for eternity--or so they hope. Then, the witch who cursed Edmund long ago dies. And suddenly, he is human again. In a race against times cruel hand, Anselm and Edmund must make a decision. Do they find a dark witch and reenact the curse that plagued Edmund so they can be together for eternity? Or . . . does Edmund give up forever as a cat to be with Anselm for now as a man?

    Unfortunately, I’m a pretty terrible phoenix. I can’t seem to control my fire. I lose my feathers (I could give you my father’s lecture on that word for word, I’ve heard it so many times). And worst of all, my tears don’t heal. I’ve pretty much been a hermit since my clan kicked me out ten years ago.The other day this man came to my cave claiming he needed a phoenix to help him with his quest. I was so startled I lit half my clothes on fire and scared him away. I can see him climbing the trail towards my cave again. What in the world does he want?Pic 2 is the third undersecretary to the royal historian (or some similar underling position within the royal court) and discovered something he shouldn’t have. He can’t tell anyone or he will be killed so he has to fix it all on his own…except maybe for the help of one hermit phoenix.Photo Descriptions: Photo 1: A shirtless, slender man with hard-taut muscles gazes thoughtfully ahead. Around him, singed and burned feathers waft to the ground. His short red hair either burns with orange-dancing flames or perhaps catches the raw yellow sunlight, giving him a fire-roasted appearance. His raw sensuality simmers, as if the air around him is charged with electricity and yet refuses to ignite into passion.Photo 2: A tranquil, lavender-shirted man holds a book in his right hand and a lantern in his left. He’s young, mid-twenties, a thin man. His tight black pants and elegant dress shirt convey a sense of timeless style. Pages seem to leave the book and fly away, as if magically lifted by the wind. Despite the floating pages and the bruised blues and greens in the dangerous sky before him, the man with raven hair and a dark purple streak remains calm, absorbed. Around him, delicate flowers blossom with long, curled petals, as delicate and strong as this man himself.This 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.

    To his surprise, he finds shelter in the magical world among strangers who swiftly become comrades. Among them is Samojirou Aboshi, a handsome scholar who treats Keno with unexpected care and respect while openly pursuing his affections. To Samojirou, Keno is the embodiment of perfection, a man who could be his companion and lover forever. When Samojirou offers him life and love as his companion, Keno realizes he may have finally found a home... but all that is threatened when a commando team from the real world arrives to steal the power of the Dreamlands and Keno's chance for a future of his own choosing.

    San Francisco is supposed to be a new start but his old ghosts haunt him, beckoning him back into his self-destructive bad habits. Bad habits that include contemplating doing dirty things with the wrong kind of guy and this time, it’s a sleek, cold-tempered medical examiner named Xian Carter with a complicated reputation.For a century-old demon, Xian Carter is content with his secretive life. Hiding his nature from the mundane world, he blends in with the city’s inhabitants as best he can but even the best of predators make mistakes. Delving into the mysteries of the dead provide a welcome distraction from endless nights and hiding in plain sight amuses him, until something supernaturally wicked comes knocking on his door with an extremely hot, broody Inspector close behind.Murder makes for strange bedfellows and this one is no exception. The twists and turns of the case leaves Xian and Spencer on a wild goose chase after clues but Xian can only hope there’s a human at the end of the trail—because the last thing San Francisco needs is another predator.

    He worked the streets for food and warmth, certain that one day his life would take a better path. That day arrived in the form of a flyer smacking him in the face after enduring a particularly rough trick. Walking through the front door of the Pride safe house became the best decision Skylar ever made. He began a new life with help from billionaire businessman Caden Fournier, his husband, Kellan, and their outreach center associates. That life also included a handsome, six-foot-two Italian who looked mighty fine astride a Harley. After a tense introduction, Skylar discovered Justice Salvatore was unlike any man he'd ever met. He’s about to find out just how different Justice is. The two grow closer as Skylar struggles with his own weird… ability. Just when he dares to dream of a happy ending, his past explodes into his present and threatens to destroy everything. Justice Salvatore has only been in love once, with the beautiful daughter of his werewolf pack’s beta. She was human, however, and Justice stayed away to protect her — only to mourn her death from a rogue attack. Skylar Foxx is stunning, but Justice is swept away by his incredible voice. Smitten on the spot, he sets his sights on getting to know the skittish young man. Bad things are happening to Skylar as they grow close, and Justice will do everything in his power to protect him. A terrifying secret shakes Justice to his core, and he is forced to decide whether someone close to him will live or die. After the hell Skylar has been through, Justice makes the only choice. There will be justice for Skylar.

    When his pack is destroyed by hellhounds, he and his brother are transported to Moon Compound. There, Colin must enter into a world where all wolf shifters are sent to learn to shift. Two years prematurely.Sloan Atwater has been at the compound for three years and still has no control of his wolf. That is until he spots Colin, making Sloan crave the slightest touch. Will he be able to claim Colin for his own? And when Colin needs Sloan, will he be able to control his wolf?

    Prince Chrysanths should be no different—except with a human for a father, the prince known as Puck already is different. When he is betrothed against his will to Prince Sky, Puck flees to his father in the human world, only to have Sky follow. Prince Sky Song of the Clouds isn’t thrilled with the prospect of marriage either, but is bound by duty to follow through. If he can’t win Puck over, the faery realm might very well dissolve into utter chaos. Too busy arguing, Puck and Sky are unaware there are others with a vested interest in seeing the betrothal fail. In a bid for Puck’s crown, they’ll seek to keep them apart, even as Puck and Sky realize that duty and love don’t always have to be mutually exclusive.

    Literally. Disowned by his family because of his sexual orientation, he’s left the Fae realm for Earth. He’s done all right for himself, establishing a small store in a paranormal-friendly town. He’s even made a few friends, despite his awkward social skills. But one day a week, everything goes to hell. Alli is a Fayte, and they don’t tend to fare very well out of the magic-laden air of their home world. Once a week, their body rebels. And the result? A day full of the worst luck imaginable. For Alli, that day is always Friday. He’s come to dread them and would, in fact, spend every Friday tucked up in bed with the covers over his head if he could. But he’s found out from past experience that it doesn’t help, so now he just grits his teeth and tries to get through Friday without killing himself. Or someone else. Then one particular Friday, his bad luck results in something surprisingly good. He meets a gorgeous bear-shifter named Michael Lakkis. And despite seeing Alli at his worst, Michael isn’t running the opposite direction. In fact, he’s chasing down Alli with resolve and determination. Now Alli just has to find a way to keep his bear-shifter, get rid of the trouble plaguing him, and figure out who wants him out of Putman County for good. It’s enough to make any sane fairy run for the hills. Fortunately, Alli has never been accused of being particularly sane. And with his new bear at his side? Alli is determined to hang onto his new life. Bad luck or no bad luck...

    Quinlin’s prickly attitude doesn’t stop Ryzel from trying to find him because a Gifted human such as Quinlin is the richest possible food source for an incubus. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Ryzel also finds Quinlin beautiful.Quinlin is frustrated and annoyed that he can’t get Ryzel out of his mind after only one stolen kiss. A second encounter with Ryzel in a bar leads Quinlin to make the life-altering decision to sleep with the object of his obsession to purge Ryzel from his mind once and for all. One night of pleasure reveals details neither intended to tell the other about themselves. The wheels of destiny are set into motion.

    When his boyfriend dumps him and moves out, Benji obligingly keeps the cat—even though he’s allergic—because his ex’s new place doesn’t accept pets. He’s always joked the cat would be the death of him, but not in a way he expects when a feline mishap crushes him under a DEL TORO bookcase.Snarky loner Patrick Bryant is in such a rut he barely remembers the life he used to lead. The last thing he recalls is being decapitated by a DEL TORO bookcase in a freak accident. As a spiritual CASA resident, he haunts the aisles of affordable Italian furniture, assisting fellow spirits in moving on to their final destinations.When Benji appears in the CASA café, Patrick considers the naïve spirit just the man to cure his boredom. Benji’s relentless optimism chips away at Patrick’s sarcasm, making him question if there’s something beyond what he can see. But the heart is like CASA furniture—there’s always some assembly required.