Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage.Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Will and Patrick don't like it, or each other, but they have to make the best of it until they can find another way out of their marriage. To ensure the trust fund Will's charitable foundation relies on isn't revoked by his mobster grandfather, he and Patrick travel to Will’s hometown of Healing, South Dakota, posing as a newlywed couple in the throes of true love at first sight.Complicating their scheme are Will’s unresolved feelings for his all-too-recent ex-boyfriend Ryan, and Patrick’s desire to get back to the only thing that really matters to him in life: neurosurgery. Will they fool everyone? Or will the mafia get wind that their marriage is a fake? Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!Approx. word count: 34KEpisode 1 of 6 in the Wake Up Married serial.

    After a devastating heartbreak, he fought tooth and nail to put his life back together again. All Danny wants now is a second chance at the happiness he never thought he’d get. But what if that second chance comes in the arms of the man who left him all those years ago? “You think you can just waltz in and pick up right where you left off? You don’t get to undo the past. You have to live with it.”“I hate myself for what I did. I know I can’t take it back, but I just need you to know I’m sorry.” Bestselling author Colton Catherwood never thought he’d come back to Cherry Creek, Iowa. The small town is full of painful memories - his mother’s death, his father’s hateful beliefs about Colt’s orientation, and, of course, Danny. Colt knows he hurt Danny and doesn’t blame him for being angry about the past. But when his father’s sudden illness forces Colt to come home, all his feelings for Danny come rushing back. “Don’t you want this?”“Of course I want this. I never stopped wanting this. Never stopped wanting you.” Danny trusts Colt about as far as he can throw him - so why is Colt’s return throwing him so far off balance? Danny’s spent the past seven years getting over Colt and he could have sworn he finally felt nothing for the man. He’s determined to keep it that way, but it sure would be easier if Colt would hurry up and leave town again.As Colt adjusts to life back in Cherry Creek, he can’t deny that his passion for Danny burns as strongly as it ever did. And he’s sure Danny feels it too. So why won’t he admit it? Colt wants to apologize, but Danny will barely give him the time of day. How can they ever move on if they can’t even speak to each other? “I never meant for us to end this way. I get it now. I’m bad for you. Having me in your life does nothing but hurt you.”“Please. I can’t take another rejection right now. Especially not from you.” What Cherry Creek, Iowa lacks in size, it makes up for in drama. The longer Colt stays in town, the more the past becomes unburied and secrets get revealed. And as Colt and Danny are thrown together, it seems that fate has a sense of humor, because the town of Cherry Creek, Iowa used to have a different name - it was founded by a huckster scam artist who called it Second Chance. Will hurt feelings and lack of trust tear these two lovebirds apart again, or will Colt and Danny finally get the second chance they deserve?Second Chance, Iowa is a steamy, 70,000 word second chance romance - a no cliffhanger standalone with an HEA ending.

    He’s been single since college, and he just can’t admit to himself that he’s got a thing for men. That is, until he meets him at a client’s wedding. He’s impossibly handsome, he’s got a voice of gold, and he’s one of the most famous pop stars in the world.Passions under the spotlight…Will Masterson’s life has been a flurry of stage lights, five star hotel rooms and flashing cameras, never giving him a moment to pursue his true passions or show his real self to the world. He also desperately needs a change, to make a true connection that has been sorely missing in his heart. When he meets Luke, the handsome stranger unaware of his celebrity status, the two hit it off in a way neither have felt before.Their desires must stay backstage…As the notes of their passion begin to perfectly harmonize, they must do everything they can to keep their relationship out of the public eye and away from Will’s uptight and authoritarian stage mother. Can the two men keep their secret hidden, or will the curtain come crashing down on their love forever?Our Rhythm is a steamy contemporary M/M gay standalone story set in sunny Southern California, and features a HEA feel-good ending and no cliffhangers!

    They don’t want to risk their friendship, and they definitely don’t want things getting awkward at the art gallery where they both work. But even as they’ve moved on with their lives, they’ve both quietly regretted that decision.When Armin’s father scores the gallery a collection of sculptures from a renowned and reclusive artist, he sends Armin and Marques on the road to pick them up.As the two friends embark on a multi-state trip, they each assume the other is still with his longtime partner. Armin doesn’t know that Marques’s now-ex-boyfriend is moving out. Marques doesn’t know that the last fraying threads of Armin’s relationship have snapped. Secretly, they pine for each other from across the console of their rental car, each wishing they hadn’t missed the chance to be together years ago.But maybe they haven’t missed that chance after all.I Think We Missed Our Turn is a short and fun ~39,000-word novella with a happy ending and no cheating.

    And pray you can keep your sanity.And your hands off him.Mason:How do you prove you’ve changed?That you’re no longer the party-boy who always needed rescuing from his own mistakes—and boy you’ve made some big ones.But no one needs to know your secrets.You take a job with the one man who doesn’t trust you.The man who’s waiting for you to screw up.You try and forget that one explosive night together.Except you can’t.And to your shock...neither can he.What do you do when the one man you can’t imagine living with is the one you can’t live without?

    Clay knows he has to return home, even though it’s the last thing he wants to do. Some things back home are best left unremembered.Dell Warrington was Clay’s unrequited high school crush and the man he least wants to see. He’s everything Clay remembered and more, including the father of four-year-old Archie. But Dell hasn’t had it easy either, and not everything is as it seems.Clay sets out to save the farm and bring in the crops with Dell’s help. Old assumptions fall to the side as the two men reconnect, and the second chance that Clay never knew he wanted seems within his grasp. But Clay left the farm for a reason, and reconciliation with his stoic father won’t be easy. When his city life offers a new opportunity, he must decide whether to accept what he knows, or follow his heart.

     Benjamin I know I look like a typical jock, but my dream is very different. I’m studying business and I want to be a game designer, despite what my parents think. I know who I am and what I want…or do I? I catch sight of the new guy on the flight to Miami and now I can’t get Derrick out of my head, or my fantasies. I try, I really do—I’m not gay…am I? But when he makes a move I panic and ruin everything. Derrick I’m new to the lacrosse team and this vacation is my first chance to get to know my teammates and show them who I am. Well, maybe not everything…even I’m not sure about some things. When I’m left babysitting him after a drunken night out, Benjamin immediately stirs the protective streak in me. He’s so…uncoordinated, it’s kind of cute. I thought I read the signs right but then I have to go and ruin everything. This first time gay, jock and nerd story is your chance to read the first in a new contemporary M/M series following roommates Benjamin, Victor, and James as they each discover themselves and find love during spring break. Hot men and romance guaranteed.

    These stories range from 7k to 10k words and feature plenty of laughs, Marian cameos, and steamy nekkid bits. A suggested reading order can be found in the Look Inside, but you do not need to have read any other Made Marian novel to enjoy these stories. Please be aware that two of these stories can also be found in the Made Marian Collection bundle. Brad's Story:When Brad opens his Vegas hotel room door to find a hot police officer waiting on the other side, he assumes crazy Aunt Tilly has sent him a strip-o-gram. But instead of getting naked, Detective Gorgeous pulls out his cuffs. Turns out, the badge and uniform aren't just props, this cop is the real deal. Beck's Story:After touring around the world, sleeping with fans after sold-out concerts, Beck is still unsatisfied in the bedroom. Men, women, men and women? He doesn't know quite what he's looking for when he enters an exclusive club to find some company for the night. But two sexy strangers begin dancing with him at the same time, and Beck finally begins to realize that it might not be variety he's after, but just the right set of lips whispering sexy words into his ear. Keller's Story:After telling Tilly to back off her attempt at setting him up, Keller catches sight of the nude model for the old lady's art class. Did he speak too soon? Meanwhile, stand-in model Eli is regretting his decision to strip down for a group of senior citizens, but then meets the manager of the vineyard and realizes being naked might not be so bad after all. Especially when things get wet... like really very wet... with hoses. Josh's Story:After moving from Denali, Alaska, to San Francisco in order to branch out, Josh hosts a big poker night for the Marians and his co-workers at the National Park Service. Little does he know, his own true love may not be someone new after all. Eight years ago, Cyrus Dimakos had to leave the love of his life to take care of his great-grandmother on a remote island in Greece. A family obligation may have kept Cyrus's body away from Josh all this time, but his heart never left him. Could it be that The One That Got Away is finally back for good?

    Flynn has a job he can no longer hide behind. A simple proposition in an effort to solve both of their problems leads two young men to confront the heartbreaks of their pasts in order to make a future together.What starts as an innocent bit of voyeurism turns into a public display of…everything.You know you like to watch.

    It comes as a complete surprise to discover that he’s developed feelings for Con - his late husband’s best friend and now Frankie’s business partner.Why did he overlook the gorgeous man who's been by his side through everything? Even more importantly, how can he tell Con about his feelings when Con seems to have suddenly found love with another man?

    Shane is the opposite of Mason in every way, he's beautiful, athletic, and lives his life to the fullest.Sparks fly when the polar opposites come together, but it will be up to the bookworm to shut down his e-reader and go after the beauty if he wants to love someone outside the pages of a book.

    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.

    He’s played the starving artist for long enough, and he’s tired of tending bar at a trashy go-go joint to make ends meet. His last boyfriend manipulated him until he almost lost himself, now he just wants to stand on his own. People only want to be around Enrique Fitzgerald because of his money. Trust doesn’t come easily, and neither does dating…especially since he’s opened his mind to the possibility that his interest in men isn’t just a passing phase. Enrique thinks he’s meeting with a middle-aged female artist, and Julian thinks he has a private showing with the patriarch of the Fitzgerald family. It’s fireworks from the first handshake but neither one knows how to make the first move. They both hold back, keeping secrets from each other. The truth is bound to come out. When it does, will their connection be enough to keep them together, or will the strain be too much?

    But this time, it’s Reed’s partner who throws him for a loop, using him as bait to get a drunk Midwesterner safely back to his hotel. Reed goes along with his partner’s plan only because he’s too tired to argue, not because the attractive lawbreaker is easy on his weary eyes.After waking up hung-over and ashamed of his behavior (the little that he remembers), Grant Carroll wants to make amends. Partying until he literally drops just to forget his no-good ex is not who he is at all. Treating the gruff officer that escorted him home to an apology lunch, Grant soon realizes Reed has everything his ex doesn’t―compassion, intelligence, and gigantic biceps.Gambling has never been either of their strong suits, but taking a risk on each other may come with the best payoff yet.Part of "Summer Bigger Than Others - A Summer Anthology" from Beaten Track Publishing.

    Escaping a repressive country, he has come to Saratoga Springs to attend university. Jamal’s freedom, however, is an illusion, for even thousands of miles away from his homophobic father, he dares not act on the feelings he has for the local barista. Matt feels like his life has stalled out. His dreams of being an artist are being sucked away by the reality of life, and now he works in a coffee shop and wishes things could be different. When Jamal receives news that a gay friend back home has been hurt in a hate crime, he flees his apartment, oblivious to the rapidly worsening weather. A blizzard strands him at the local coffeeshop, where Matt, the man he’s been pining over for three long years, happens to be working. Helping an elderly neighbor home through the storm is enough to break the ice, but is their growing attraction enough to convince Jamal to break faith with his family back home? As Jamal and Matt struggle to find some common ground, the cultural differences between them work to pull them apart. Torn between his family and his heart, Jamal is faced with a choice: break free of his family’s expectations, or lose his chance to find happiness with Matt.