Neil Bronte's a cop; his entire job is to find and arrest Artemy Volkov, professional criminal, counterfeiting and forgery expert, and son of one of the most dangerous crime families in the country. When he lucks into a meeting with Volkov, Bronte has to be cautious- he has to approach undercover, in order to protect himself and his two kids. Fortunately for Bronte, Artemy himself isn't likely to pose any danger. Unfortunately for Bronte, Art is a kind, beautiful genius, who makes Bronte's heart beat in a way his ex-wife never quite did. Bronte's a good liar. Is he a good enough liar to hide his profession, when Art seemingly knows everything else about him? Or is Bronte lying to himself when he says that's the only reason he's getting so close to Art? And what about Art's secrets? There are secrets he's keeping from his not-so-pacifist family, for one- but what is he hiding from Bronte?

To save his family from financial ruin, Anthony Ventura, the least dependable of the Ventura brothers, agrees to marry Knox Lavigne, the future king of his vampire coven. Knox is frustrating, bossy, and cares more about his family than anyone else... just like Anthony. Anthony never expected to be forced to marry his brother's ex-fiancé, and is even more surprised to find their mutual partnership evolve into the most intoxicating romance of his life. But it's not long until Anthony discovers the coven is under attack by mutated vampires, who are planning to assassinate Knox. To his horror, Anthony falls victim to the mutation. Now that Anthony has finally found his happily ever after, he'll do whatever he can to find a cure before he kills the only man he's ever loved. Standalone in the Picky Eater series

Captain Jacob Riley needs to get home, but the sea is a dangerous place. In a last ditch effort to make it, he buys a weapon. A weapon that is rumoured to be the deadliest on the high seas. But this isn't a weapon of iron or wood. It's a weapon of magic, and one that is capable of ripping out the souls of those who fall under its spell. Only it's not the Captain's soul that he needs to worry about. Don't forget that a heart can be stolen too.

Finally free of the possessions that plagued him since childhood, Carlos moves to Spring Lakes and opens his own auto-garage. But even a life free of demons isn't a walk in the park, and Carlos soon has plenty of earthly problems to worry about. As he struggles to get a fledgling business off the ground and make ends meet, he barely has time to think of much else, and remains luckless in love. When his hapless assistant, Kyle, turns up dead, however, Carlos finds himself in trouble of a different kind, and the new detective in town-John Turner-has Carlos pegged as suspect number one. Meanwhile, Carlos has his own reasons for wanting the murder solved. Kyle's ghost won't leave him alone, and obviously has something important to say, but Carlos fears opening himself to the supernatural; if he lets Kyle through, he worries what else might follow. Reluctantly, Carlos and Detective Turner join forces, and gradually develop a mutual respect-and possibly attraction, as well. But Turner isn't completely unattached, and Carlos wonders if he's once again a distant second choice, or worse-a consolation prize. Will Carlos be third-wheeling forever, or will he find his own true love at last?

General Sevei is of the firm opinion that Nobles are shady and Alchemists even shadier. Noble Alchemists are the absolute worst. He is not looking forward to partnering with one to guard the border. Upon their introduction, though, it would seem they have already met... under very intimate circumstances. Oh...,**** Set in the same world as Salvage, but we're going back in time for some Medieval sword and sorcery! This wholesome, happy-endings-all-around, smutty queer fantasy romance features an M/M main couple along with a host of supporting characters bringing some trans rep, some pan rep, some sex worker positivity, and even a straight ally who tries his darndest, bless his little puppy heart. Plenty of fluff, plenty of sexy times, a few funny bits, and our gang do all make it through the Horrors - but there is a war on, so there's also plenty of angst and a bit of bloody violence along the way. CW: Violence, violent death (no main characters), homophobic society, internalized homophobia and closeting, internalized transphobia (supporting character), war veteran ptsd, slavery (supporting character - no abuse of this character is depicted and sentiments are anti-slavery), strong language, detailed sexual content (all consensual), discussion of sex work.

[ONC ROUND ONE WINNER: 4th place] When he discovers his husband has been replaced, an android hunter must find the impostor in time to rescue the man he loves. SynTracker is one half of a duology of novellas. Both follow the same sequence of events from different PoVs. SynTracker is Ian's tale; BioSynth is Quentin's. Collectively, they're known as Syn. ≡≡≡ Ian Morgan is a man who does the wrong job for the right reasons. Honour-bound to keep the streets safe, Ian is a SynTracker: someone whose job is to hunt down BioSynths - obsolete yet incredibly dangerous synthetic self-aware weapons - and return them to the government, to be reprogrammed and repurposed. It'd be an easier task if they hadn't been programmed to mimic reactions that allow them to pass as humans, complete with tears. Deeply in love with Quentin, his husband of eight years, Ian's home life more than makes up for the work that wears him down. But a car crash that could have killed Quentin reveals a shocking truth: his husband has been replaced by a BioSynth. With the impostor on the loose, Ian must now Track it, knowing he needs to comb its memories for any clue regarding Quentin's whereabouts - if he's even alive. ≡≡≡ SynTracker was written for the Open Novella Contest 2021 and is based on prompt #4: You're a weapon, and weapons don't weep. It features a romance between two men. ≡≡≡ ONC Round One Winner: 4th Place Speculative Fiction Awards, Utopia/Distopia: Runner-Up R4R Awards, Sci-Fi: 2nd Place

[ONC 2021 WINNER: 3rd place] When a car accident reveals a shocking secret even he didn't know about himself, an android finds himself hunted by his own husband. BioSynth is one half of a duology of novellas. Both follow the same sequence of events from different PoVs. BioSynth is Quentin's tale; SynTracker is Ian's. Collectively, they're known as Syn. ≡≡≡ Photographer Quentin Morgan has almost everything he could ask for. With a dream job that takes him all over the world, married to the love of his life for the past eight years, it's only his husband's line of work that leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Ian is a SynTracker, someone who hunts down BioSynths - obsolete yet incredibly dangerous synthetic self-aware weapons that can pass as humans - and returns them to the government, to be reprogrammed and repurposed. Quentin finds the job distasteful, but Ian says they're weapons, and weapons don't weep. A car crash that could have killed Quentin reveals the shocking truth: he, himself, is a BioSynth. Hurt, scared, and now hunted by the man he loves, who thinks him an impostor, Quentin is thrown into a suddenly hostile world, where the stakes are his very existence. ≡≡≡ BioSynth was written for the Open Novella Contest 2021 and is based on prompt #4: You're a weapon, and weapons don't weep. It features a romance between two men. ≡≡≡ ONC Winner: 3rd Place ONC Round One Ambassador Pick Speculative Fiction Awards, Sci-Fi Category: Winner

This is a FREE book with PAID exclusive chapters. The Whitlock Curse has finally taken Luke's grandmother, leaving him all alone in this world. And now that she's gone, all her secrets are pouring out, including the one where she stole from A DRAGON. Cassian Alwyn, a rare black dragon has come to take back his Fortress Ring, so he can hibernate for the next thousand years... problem is, Luke doesn't know where it is. Forced to work together, Luke and Cassian butt heads immediately and finding the ring seems impossible. It doesn't help that Cassian holds Luke's grandmother's thievery against him, but after fighting off a witch with similar ambitions, slowly the two men get to know each other and find that there's something better than being alone... being with each other. Cassian wonders if he can forgive while Luke hopes that a dragon could survive the Whitlock curse, but when they get closer to their prize, it proves more difficult to change their plans especially when Luke and Cassian only put each other in more danger. ~ Enemies to Lovers ~ Forced proximity ~ Slow Burn ~ "I hate everyone but you" trope

His orders were simple: interrogate the Demon prince and then kill him. He can't afford to pity the Demon--much less fall for him. *** Fourteen years ago, the Demons conquered the world, decimating the Guardian order and enslaving humanity. Now, the last Guardians live underground, quietly rebuilding and waiting for a chance to strike back. Remgar, a noble Guardian hardened by loss, is honored with a mission of vengeance: interrogate the High Demon Prince and break him. It seems like a dream come true-until he meets the prisoner. Isalio, the younger brother of the Demon High Prince, is sarcastic, disarmingly sweet, and far too human. As forbidden feelings percolate between interrogator and captive, Remgar is forced to confront a truth more terrifying than any Demon: he doesn't want to break Isalio. He wants to save him. Torn between the oath he swore and the heart he never meant to offer, Remgar must decide what kind of Guardian he truly is. Because in a world where evil reigns and love is a death sentence, choosing wrong could doom them both. WARNING: This story contains content that may not be suitable for some readers.

Two childhood best friends. One accidental kiss. A summer that changes everything. *** Felipe Rivera has a problem. Several problems, really; as if his anxiety disorder and his strained relationship with his father weren't enough, he's also been in love with his best friend for as long as he can remember. Now that it's their last summer together before they go to separate colleges and leave the suburb they grew up in behind, he's determined to keep his feelings for Aaron bottled up. However, things quickly move beyond his control, and what was supposed to be a summer like every other turns out to be something that might just put their friendship to the ultimate test. Content warnings for themes of anxiety/mental health issues and recreational drug use