Lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, nail polish? Back in the small town where I grew up, a boy would have never dared to dress like him. When an assignment to create a video news segment from one of our professors places us both in the same group, personalities clash, and what started as fascination on my part turns into instant dislike, which he seems to immediately return. He's smart, quick-thinking, creative…but also snarky, moody, defensive, and basically the complete physical opposite of every guy I've ever been attracted to. And yet, despite the fact that I think he needs an attitude adjustment, and he thinks I'm just a backward country hick, I've quickly come to realize that sometimes the line between love and hate really is paper thin.P.S. An HEA would definitely be preferred to an HFN ending. Photo Description: Two young men stare at each other through a chain-link fence. They are holding hands through it; one has nail polish and lip gloss.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 it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: first love; college; coming out; gay-for-you; enemies to loversWarnings: noneWord Count: 68,123

    He’s used to getting what he wants from girls, but when he develops a fascination for a man, his wooing skills require an upgrade. After months of persuasion, he scores a dinner date with Henry Normand that morphs into an intense weekend. The unexpected depth of their connection scares Ruben into fleeing.Shy, cautious Henry, Ruben’s former high school history teacher, suspects he needs a wake-up call, and Ruben appears to be his siren. But when Ruben bolts, Henry is left struggling to find closure. Inspired by his conversations with Ruben, Henry begins to write articles about the memories stored in everyday objects. The articles seduce Ruben, even as Henry’s snowballing fame takes him out of town and farther out of reach.Everyday History, a romance told with Alice Archer’s unique style and lush prose, was named a Top Book of 2016 in the HEA USA Today column Rainbow Trends>. Standalone romance. HEA.

    Unfortunately, he's earned a love 'em and leave 'em reputation, though. Finding a gorgeous gay romance author in this little Colorado town is a thrill, even if Conor says he's straight. When Aaron's landlord kicks him out, the solution is obvious: Aaron can stay with Conor, they can write and fix up Conor's cute farmhouse together, and they can pretend to date. That's all. Aaron won't fall for another straight guy again...even one as amazing as Conor. "What do I know about gay romance?" Conor Kennedy just wants to renovate and sell his old farmhouse, escape this small town, and find a nice girlfriend. His novels don't sell, though, and his repairs are taking forever. Everything feels broken until Aaron jokingly offers the perfect solution. Why not pose as a cute gay couple for the summer? Both of their careers will benefit and they'll both get the company of a great new friend... plus Hope, the stray golden retriever who's chosen to live with them. But all Conor can think about is the most illogical thing of all: he wants to do more with his gay co-author than write romance novels. "Will you sweep me under the rug again?" Living in tight quarters during the renovation while writing a book together challenges both men to stick to the terms of their deal. They're opposites in almost every way, and the tension is thick. As their fake relationship deadline approaches, questions loom over them both: were they only faking, or has something real blossomed between them? When the internet learns of Conor's past, will their love be strong enough to keep them together? Just a Summer Deal is a steamy, stand-alone GFY gay romance novel with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

    Not this holiday. After his degree-seeking lover leaves humble blue-collar Ben, Ben spends the Yuletide miserable. He's not accustomed to being alone, not after seven years. Eventually Ben finds his lover's new address and sends him a greeting card asking when he'll come back home—only to learn in the returned correspondence that his card reached the wrong address and another man, Jason Prescott, by mistake.Jason is touched by Ben's appeal to his lover, and he and Ben spend months growing close as pen pals. Frequently exchanged correspondence turns into weekends spent together, but after learning Jason's working on his second master's degree and is even smarter than Ben's ex, Ben wonders if Jason will be able to love someone as ordinary as he is.

    Can these college roommates fall in love without going out of bounds? Beaten and heartbroken, Jesse Cole is placed in a new dorm room after his last roommate attacked him. Just wanting to be left alone to heal in peace, he's shocked when tall, dark and dangerous-looking Nick Moretti walks in.Nick doesn't have time to tiptoe around his new roommate—he's too busy working in order to pay for school. But something about Jesse brings out his protective instincts. As their cautious friendship grows and becomes loaded with sexual tension, he wants to make Jesse comfortable.Enter the perfect plan: a line of tape down the center of the room. Boundaries established.But as innocent movie nights become hours-long temptation marathons, and whispered chats from across the room delve into straight-up dirty territory, crossing the line has never been so satisfying.

    He never meant to fall for the hottest guy in school...or any guy at all for that matter. But he did.Alex Stewart is in love. He took one look at the adorable skater boy with the big lost eyes and was gone.They're both happier than they've ever been, but can their fragile new love survive?

    He's worked hard to put himself through school and achieve the American dream. All he's ever wanted was a normal family life—house in the suburbs, two cars, two kids, a shaggy dog. A family to come home to—to care for, and to care for him.Mischa Blake is the green eyed, liberally-pierced, black-haired, Mohawk-wearing spoiled youngest son of a Hollywood producer and his actress wife. Mischa has made a terrible mistake. In a fit of childish pique, he's accepted a dare from his older brothers. The dare? Live on his own, supporting himself completely for a year without accessing his trust fund. No problem. Except Mischa has never worked a day in his life, hasn't finished college, and has absolutely no skills that he can bring to the table. So when he sees Donovan's ad for a housekeeper/gardener, he has nothing to lose by applying, because really...how hard can it be?

    George McAllister knows better than to hook up with an untrained submissive. He doesn't have the patience to guide a novice through his first kinky experiences. His lovers know what they are doing and do what they are told. When he sees Eric dancing on top of a table in a kinky club, he assumes the beautiful young man is an experienced submissive. Then he sees the turquoise and leather on his neck and recognises it as a collar. Someone else already owns Eric. George has no choice but to walk away. Eric Jordan doesn't know much about kink and he has no idea why George is suddenly less than enthusiastic. But he knows what he wants and if he has to chase after George to get it, so be it. If George wants to believe the pretty bit of rock on his necklace means something kinky, that's fine. But Eric doesn't belong to anyone but himself and he won't give up possession of himself for one night in George's bed. An untrained submissive might not be what George wants, but he could be just what George needs.

    The problem? I’m not sure I’m ready for the rest of the world to know I’ve fallen for my best friend. Everyone knows Max is gay. Me? They think I’m straight as an arrow. So did I, until Max and I shared a kiss three months ago that blew that theory right out of the water.Now, by the ocean in Florida, thousands of miles away from prying eyes, I’m finally ready to admit to myself that Max and I have something special. Max has been ready for a long time—and he’s been waiting for me. Really waiting. As in…he’s still a virgin.There’s nothing I want more than to be Max’s first lover. But I know when Max gives away that part of himself, it won’t be just a summer fling. It’ll be for keeps. Max deserves the best. I’m just not sure, when it comes right down to it, that I won’t break his heart.Did I mention I’m scared as hell?Product Warnings: This title features summer lovin’ between two hot men, a secret romance between best friends—one of whom doesn’t think he’s actually gay, and enough heat to set any beach vacation on fire. Be sure to keep the extinguisher handy!

     Sebastian Blake is a cynical, self-made billionaire who has only known rejection and abandonment in his personal life. Adam Johnson is a closeted gay man who works for the law firm representing Sebastian in a civil lawsuit filed against him by a former employee. The attraction between the men is immediate and intense, but neither of them wants a relationship. Sebastian makes an offer that Adam can’t refuse and they agree to have a purely sexual arrangement. Passions ignite and their hearts refuse to be ignored, but... Enemies from Sebastian’s dark past begin to turn up dead and he is the prime suspect in their murders. Adam is his alibi and the only one who can save him. Will Adam risk everything and out himself to protect the man he loves? Everlasting love or fatal attraction? Adam soon finds himself in the killer’s crosshairs, which forces Sebastian to face his feelings for the man. If these two men are to have a future together, they must trust each other, brave adversity, and outsmart a serial killer. **This male/male romance is for ADULT readers only. It includes graphic sex and explicit language.

    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.Download the story, read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 4.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: baby; hot business; adoption; family; a bit of m/m steamWarnings: noneWord Count: 15,528

    Gruff, stubborn, and a little blind to subtlety, Max is the perfect poster boy for stereotypical masculinity. Used to dealing with the dregs of society, he never backs down from a fight, but his attitude is a reckless one. Max’s lover, Skyler Trent, is a dress designer who happens to be a cross-dresser and the polar opposite of Max. When a rough day on the job sets the stage for disaster, Max’s quick temper and a need to play knight in shining armor makes a bad situation even worse. After a very observant Skyler patches Max up, both are forced to face some less visible wounds that are just as in need of healing. Max needs to find the courage to admit a few things to Skyler—and to himself—or he might lose everything. * * * * * Erotic romance intended for an adult audience. All characters are 18 or older. Third Edition, Published January 30, 2014 Word Count: 4,869

    Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

    So when he ends up serving community service at a recycling plant for inadvertently buying stolen property, he’s certain it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to him. That is, until he finds tickets to a sold-out concert in the trash, tickets that immediately disappear into the pocket of the hottest—and most exasperating—guy he’s ever met.Cade McKuen has never been one to follow society’s expectations. That’s why he’s serving time sorting trash for destroying his cheating ex-lover’s car rather than apologize. Finding those tickets is an unexpected bonus to an otherwise smelly sentence. But when cute, sputtering Elliot claims a share, Cade decides community service might be the best thing that’s happened to him all year.Cade is determined to keep Elliot off balance and tap into the passion he senses is hidden under that buttoned-down exterior. Elliot is fascinated by Cade’s outrageous way of thumbing his nose at the world.Opposites attract, but can passion be the ticket to something lasting?

    His skills as a network penetrator are renowned, but in meatspace he's seen as cold and awkward. His Asperger's makes it hard to be a team player and in a cutthroat industry, enemies abound. Justin is framed for a massive security breach and soon it's not just his job on the line; his very life is in danger."If I can't keep you safe, what good am I?"Bodyguard Calder Lesley takes pride in his career protecting others. In contrast to his geeky hotshot best friend, Calder uses body language and psychology to excel at his job. He only ignores his instincts when it comes to Justin. Even though their friendship has been long distance for eight years, Justin's feelings for him are obvious. Calder's afraid of nothing... except losing a friend to pursue a new kind of love."We're both in danger unless we act now."When a rival hacker threatens Justin's career, he's going to need the help of the person he trusts most, but Calder can't protect him from a distance. Forced into Calder's orbit for protection, the sparks begin to fly as Justin's career falls apart. Opposites might attract, but can they last?Firewall is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.