This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home. But his summer plans take a turn in an unexpected direction when he meets Micah Youngblood, the guy who runs the carousel at the local mall and has a reputation for devouring straight boys’ heterosexuality for breakfast, alongside his chocolate chip pancakes. Ridge needs a way to avoid the guys at camp, whose only quest for the summer is to drown in beer and hook up with girls. So when Micah offers to explain how the ten unique horses on the carousel are significant to his tribe, Ridge takes him up on it. Still, Ridge can't decide if this is a bad thing or not. All he knows is that he hasn’t felt this alive since his dad fell from the sky, and as the horse adventures come to an end, Ridge finds himself falling as well – for Micah.

    If Maps ruled the world, his best pal would still be living next door, and there wouldn’t be any gap-toothed new guy staring at him as if he’s bonkers.Pity Maps doesn’t rule the world . . .

    The problem is, the real story isn’t that easy or convenient—just like Nate and Cam’s friendship. Cam challenged Nate on every level from the day the boys met. He pushed him to break the rules, to dream, and to accept himself. But Nate—armed with a fierce moral code and conflicted by his own beliefs—started to push back. With each push, Nate and Cam moved closer to each other—but also spiraled closer to their breaking points.

    Belittled, ridiculed, and beaten down by his so-called friends, he is pushed to his breaking point. He must make a change. With his quirky aunt Nellie by his side, Will moves to the sunny town of Seaside City, where he embarks on a journey to reinvent himself, discover first love, and maybe find a little bit of happiness along the way. Hannah is Seaside City's resident extrovert-but behind her facade of confidence, she is riddled with insecurities. When she meets Will, Hannah decides to take him under her wing and become his guide. For a girl who desperately needs to be heard and understood, Will just may be exactly the friend she needs. Daniel is Hannah's gorgeous twin brother-the perfect combination of funny, charming, and intelligent. Even though he should be off limits, Will cannot help but fall for him. But will a devious girlfriend and the confusion of sexual identity come between them? The Big Summer is a witty and touching tale that explores the ups and downs of first love, the struggles of self-acceptance, the value of friendship, and the true meaning of happiness."

    It wasn't New York, or California, but he figured it would be better than being home. College would be be a new start in a new place, maybe somewhere he could be himself.Sean was local, born and bred, on the opposite side of the town-and-gown divide, but attraction knows no boundaries. When personal tragedy brought them together, it was the beginning of something extraordinary.~~~~~This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" 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.Dear Author,I realize I'm late to the party, but it took me a bit to find just the perfect photo! This:The first time is so beautiful, if the one you're with cares enough to make it that way. These two are so young: barely out of high-school, but college is all about finding out who you really are.Photo Description: The place is secluded; leaves filter the sun. The men are so young, shirtless, smooth skin and sleek light muscle. The dark boy tentatively holds his lover, head tilted to bring their mouths together. There is nothing tentative about the blond. He leans in, driving the kiss. 1980's sweet summertime.Word Count: 15,288

    Running a multiagency sting out of his East Texas ranch means he needs a new foreman… preferably someone a little wet behind the ears who won’t ask too many questions.Gianni’s Aunt Jerilyn hires Bonner Fannin, a roughstock rider with zero ranch experience and a sister who’s pregnant with a violent biker’s twins. If that’s not bad enough, Bonner is pretending he and his sister are married to protect her and to help get him the job.Gianni didn’t think Bonner was the marrying type during their torrid beach affair years ago, but he’s not sure if he has time to explore that thought now, as overrun as his ranch is with drug cartels, macho government agents, and local cops. Looks like Bonner and Gianni are both in over their heads, and they may have to band together during this adventure to swim rather than sink.

    That is, until Theo, Eden’s lead singer and James’s secret lover, violently betrays him, sending James into a deep depression and cutting their current tour and the band’s life short. Kieran Jackson, the lead vocalist for the less successful band Lost and Found, is at his wits’ end. At thirty-three, he never dreamed he’d still be opening for bands comprised of twentysomethings. When Eden pulls out of the last few shows of their summer tour, Kieran returns home burned out and heartbroken. Over a year later, James, Phil, and David of Eden decide to reform under a different name with Kieran as their new vocalist. James, never having forgotten his single interaction with Kieran, nor the only time he ever listened to him perform, knows Kieran’s the best choice. James is still closeted—and skittish after his last relationship—and one fumbling, drunken kiss threatens to undo everything he’s worked so hard to rebuild, as well as the cover he’s fought to maintain. Can James overcome his past, confront his demons, and reclaim his former fame? Or will he and the newly formed True North remain in Eden’s shadow forever? Can he finally find comfort in who he is, accept his past, and reopen his heart? Or will the memories of Theo’s betrayal and the subsequent fallout dash any hope of finding—and trusting—love again? Trigger warning: this book contains explicit rape, as well as one failed suicide attempt by a main character.

    Two hearts forever changed.Alex is magnetic. His vibrant personality and easy smiles draw people toward him. No one would guess he’s secretly hurting.Shiloh is quiet. His social awkwardness and anxious mind make it hard for him to make connections. He’s always felt different. A little broken.When these two meet, they recognize something in each other. One hides his pain, while the other wears scars from his. They’re opposites in every way, but like magnets, it’s what brings them together.What starts as a tentative friendship soon blossoms into so much more, bringing about a summer of self-discovery, healing, soft kisses under the stars, and two imperfect people who learn just how perfectly they fit together.Perfectly Us is a heartwarming and emotional opposites attract, demisexual awakening New Adult LGBT romance with a guaranteed HEA.Trigger warnings: anxiety, depression, mention of self-harm and suicide.

     Tell nobody your name. Tell nobody your secrets. Trust nobody! These are the rules of the streets. His entire life changes when he saves an eight-year-old boy from a violent end. Christopher Manos is one of the most powerful crime bosses in the country. Don’t ask anyone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself. Secrets can get you killed. Trust nobody! These are the rules he lives by. When his eight-year-old nephew disappears, he never expects the boy’s savior to end up being his own. A man with a dangerous past and a man with a dangerous future find love amidst murder and mayhem. But with Snow's life being threatened at every turn, will Christopher's best be enough to prevent Snow Falling?

    In need of a place to crash, he's leaning on Miller Quinn. A patient, solidly masculine pillar of strength and support, Miller has always been there for him—except in the one way Church has wanted the most.With his staunchly conservative upbringing, Miller has been playing it straight his whole life. Now with Church so close again, it's getting harder to keep his denial intact. As they fumble their way back to friendship after so many years apart, Miller struggles to find the courage to accept who he really is. What he has with Church could be more than desire—it could be love. But it could also mean trouble.Church's criminal connections are closing in on the both of them, and more than their hearts are at risk. This time, their very lives are on the line.

    He’s been living life by the tips of his fingers for over twenty years, and his new gig organizing a group of misfit military types into a functioning team—including his reluctant ex-fiancée—won’t return him to stable ground anytime soon.Trevor Barrow has been on the move for the last seven years—hitting the road when relationships became too real or too much work. He’s home now, working in the hazardous world of bike messengers in the Motor City, and the only one of his eight siblings who knows he’s returned is his sister Cat. It’s not as if reconnecting with them matters anyway, because it’s likely he’ll be gone again soon.Both men are lugging some heavy baggage, but when they chance upon each other in a dive bar it’s hard to deny their flaws are more like symbiotic quirks. Trevor’s backpedaling instincts and Deacon’s dance-dance party past may just be intersecting at a time when things are about to get explosive in Detroit.

    Nothing in life was guaranteed-perfect, especially not guys... and most definitely not guys in the immediate vicinity of tiny O'Leary, New York. And then sexy Navy SEAL Ash Martin walked into Cal's bakery, and made him wonder if fate might have cooked up something sweet for him after all. Their connection was immediate, all-consuming, and definitely not vanilla... but could their perfect date last for more than just a night, or even a season? Note: This is a 23k word SHORT STORY that first appeared in the Heart2Heart anthology as “The Baker and the SEAL." It has been slightly expanded.

    He struggles with being closeted at home and at school, and to make matters worse, he has a huge crush on one of his childhood friends, Greg Harmon, now a big football star.Allen’s forced to go to Pennsylvania with his family for Christmas rather than staying in Virginia with his friends, but he’s thrilled when Greg starts to text and instant message him. It’s the beginning of a budding romance that develops when Greg ends up visiting family nearby, but as the press of family makes it difficult to find any time alone, will they be able to start something that will last?

    In reality, Joe's agent directs his public life. Those women he's supposedly intimate with? Prearranged dates ending at the red carpet. With his assistant and best friend Derek Simmons' help, Joe has lived safely in the closet since his divorce, choosing to let off steam with discreet male escorts rather than risk an actual boyfriend. At forty-four, he has no plans to change. Then, taking a role in a film without flashy explosions upends that.When Joe signs on to play an early 1990s-era AIDS-stricken gay man, his internalized homophobia threatens the production. His out costar Hunter Starling won't put up with Joe's behavior. As the animosity between Joe and Hunter grows, saving the film means Joe must face his deepest fear. Challenges pile up from all directions, from his father disowning him to the entertainment industry's backstabbing reaction. Amid the backlash, Joe ventures into his first gay romantic relationship, tries to help others worse off, and slowly learns how to live his life instead of just acting it.

    For ten years he developed a reputation as one of the best rescue pilots in the business, saving countless lives, until a disaster made him swear off search and rescue work forever. But everything changed the day Calder walked into his life, beautiful and tough and stubborn as hell, insisting he fly one more rescue mission. Calder’s ex, Avery, is lost alone on one of the most dangerous mountains in the world after a ski trip goes nightmarishly wrong. As Avery struggles to survive in the bitter Alaskan wilderness, Jack and Calder search for him, both knowing that he is most likely already dead. Jack tries to treat it as just another rescue mission, but from the moment he set eyes on Calder it has been more than that. His feelings for the other man force him to confront things about himself he has long denied. Their tempestuous relationship only grows more intense as the danger increases, both of them risking their lives in the search for a man Jack is certain will take Calder from him, one way or another. Please Note: This book contains adult language & steamy adult activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. Novel, approx. 80,000 words in length. HEA (happy ever after ending). Does not end with a "cliffhanger".