He has to give a speech today for his Oral Communications class, and he's terrified of public speaking. Worse yet, he's being bullied by one of the most popular kids at school. He just has to make it through his third-hour gym class and then give his speech, and everything will be all right. The events about to transpire, however, may make this what proves to be the worst day of his life.

    They're a real pretty picture, Blue Eyes with his back pressed against Green Eyes' chest as they watch him get a drink. He waits to see what they do. If they want him, he'll play, but first they have to ask nicely. Jeff is the top, the one in control. Except Jeff soon finds out he isn't. The little man with the snapping blue eyes is definitely the puppet master here.

    Both happen to present when a notorious author of roman à clef is shot by an invisible assailant during a signing at historic Marlborough Bookstore.Even if they weren’t both suspects, it’s the perfect opportunity to match wits and sleuthing skills.If only the murderer was equally amused.

    When an axe-wielding maniac knocks on his front door and asks to dig up his living room floor, he figures his Monday from hell is complete.But an axe-wielding maniac may be just what Josh needs.This story also available in print in the anthology Ever After: The Collected Short Works of Marie Sexton.

    But what about the THREE YEARS in between? Fear not, this JOCK SHORT is a collection of four chapters, written to fill in the gaps. So grab your tissues and pull up a chair, and prepare yourself to find out what Cole, Ellis, Rob, and Russell, from JOCK 1, got into before JOCK 2 comes out.Chapters include: Graduation, In The Meantime, He Said, "I Do.", and Where Do We Go From Here?

    Arnulfo Oliva is torn: he could stay in the United States, but he vowed to return to his home country and practice medicine in the remote villages that offer little to no healthcare. Mitch doesn’t need him, not really; he’s surrounded by wealth and possessions.Rising star Dr. Mitchell Rollins enjoys his lavishlifestyle, and if Nulfo wants to turn his back on allthey could have together, let him. Mitch doesn’teven miss him. Much. Or think of him—more thanfive times an hour.A magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocks El Salvadorand both men. Mitch joins a mercy mission,determined to find his former lover, talk senseinto the man, and bring him back to the US andsafety. What he finds opens his eyes to all Nulfotried to tell him.Mitch must decide what he truly can’t livewithout.

    The Unlikely Vampire by Scarlet Blackwell2. Sacrifice by J.L. Merrow3. One Last Wish by Josephine Myles4. Mayan Time by Erik Orrantia5. Fire Can Make It Rain by Nix Winter6. The Hunter & the Hunted by Stevie Woods

    Chances Are, she's right.Meet Aaron "Chance" Dumont:"I'm Chance, this is my place. You want me; this is where you can find me."The problem with that, of course, was that it wasn't my name. My name was actually Aaron Dumont.I picked up the name Chance as a kid when my grandma kept telling me "Chances are you'll come to no good, just like your pa." She had said it so often, it just kind of stuck. I've been Chance ever since. When she passed away and left me the remains of her estate, I sold everything but a few special items then invested it all in a nest egg for a rainy day.I figured that's what she'd intended it for anyway. She'd said as soon as I joined the police force back in the eighties. "Chances are you'll come to no good there. It's a dangerous job and you're an accident waiting to happen."She was right too.

    Definitely not Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson’s type. Which he tells himself, repeatedly, every time the other man attends his class. Until the day he looks over to see Gage’s seat is empty. When Gage arrives at Derek’s veterinary clinic with a frostbitten stray dog, the lines of their teacher/student relationship are blurred. Derek realizes his most difficult student has a few things to teach him. Things he’s more than willing to learn. “One of my favorites of this collection. It contained well developed characters and a tender storyline. The power struggle and the flirting between these two was HOT. Loved Matty and I was so happy that it ended as it did.” PrismBookAlliance "Celebrating Diversity Through Literature" Contains first chapter from A Restored Man by Jaime Reese.

    Guilt for walking away unscathed...and for secretly loving Simon's partner, Wade. Unable to bear the pain, Dylan left the Lazy G ranch to rebuild his life elsewhere.A year later he reluctantly responds to his sister's plea to come home, where he finds the Lazy G falling apart. And so is Wade. Wade has stopped caring about the ranch, about everything that should matter most to him.Though there's more ranch work than one man can possibly handle, Dylan throws himself into the task. Wondering how he's going to find the strength to pull Wade out of the fog of grief when his own is still as raw as a fresh wound. Wondering when Wade will finally see that his second chance for happiness is standing right in front of him.

    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.

    A random comment by his latest catch draws his mind back to the past, to a boy he once loved so fiercely, a boy drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam.A boy lost in the war. A boy James has never forgotten.

    Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that’s how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam. Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original—witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn’t let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail. Each step of Adam’s journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it’s Adam’s lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn’t right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

    But it will cost you.” Jake and Stephen grew up together. Down on his luck and needing a place to crash, Jake knows there's plenty of room in Stephen's gated mansion. Stephen gladly welcomes Jake into his home, but the young billionaire's generosity comes with strings attached—something he's wanted for a very long time. Jake is a straight man and always has been. But when Stephen hands him the blindfold, Jake has no choice but to cover his eyes and take whatever comes. No matter how forbidden, or taboo. 7,600 words. First of two books.

    One small bed. Two ex-lovers. What could go wrong?Broken-hearted Grant retreats to a cabin in the woods to work on his master's thesis and escape the sadness of a recent breakup. A blizzard is on the way, but Grant has food, books, and a cozy fireplace. But when a loud knock jolts Grant from his chair, he's stunned to see his intense ex-boyfriend, Adam...Adam wants to win back Grant's love, but it won't be easy. Harsh words were spoken during their breakup, and Adam's struggling to heal from his wounded past. Grant wants to start a family, but Adam can't imagine being a father...The men cooperate to stay safe and warm during the blizzard, but they can't deny their feverish attraction. They discuss a future together, but old hurts surface. Can Adam and Grant resolve their differences and have the future they always planned, or will this weekend be their final goodbye?The Carpenter is a 20,000 word standalone gay romance with a Happily Ever After.