Books Tagged With what - holiday - christmas

Word Count: Click here to reveal76800 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Simon the Elf wants to tell you the true story behind Jolly Ole St. Nick. Yeah, he’s a vampire. But that alleged gift giver and lover of children hides more than that fact from you. And what about Mrs. Claus and Rudolph? Venture into a world of enslaved elves, enchanted animals, and death wrought by Santa himself. With his sharp wit, Simon will lead you into the darkest realms of Christmas in Santa is a Vampire by Simon the Elf, with Damian Serbu. Warning: Simon cusses a lot. But you would, too, if Santa held you captive.

Word Count: Click here to reveal11400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Santa has big plans to release a story about himself right before Christmas, revealing his true nature as a vampire. He decides the best advanced publicity comes from reality stories and enlists Simon the Elf, a captive former human, to hit Chicago for the holidays and strike up a romance. Santa wants Simon to document the whole thing, so they can give people a taste for life under Santa’s enslavement before the main story hits. Forced to the Second City against his will, Simon at first resists Santa’s orders, knowing a romance would be short lived at best, and at worst bring some innocent victim into Santa’s evil orbit. But Simon failed to reckon with the charm and wit of Jonah, a hot guy he meets his first night on the town. Falling hard, Simon takes up with his new love despite knowing the awful choice ahead of him. Santa’s Kinky Elf, Simon tells you this tragic love story in the elf’s own words.

Word Count: Click here to reveal20,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Questioning (Click here to hide)

Summary: Playing Santa in the local department store should be an easy way to make a few extra bucks, shouldn’t it? That’s what Brock Daniels thought when he took the job at a local department store. Once he finds out a handsome ginger—his one weakness—will be playing Santa’s elf, easy becomes complicated, even if it’s an enjoyable snag. When Paul Martens discovers who’ll be playing Santa to his elf, déjà vu of an unforgettable night with a certain Dom that took place almost two years ago comes crashing down on him. The attraction between Brock and Paul grows to fevered levels while a runaway teen pulls at both men’s heartstrings. Will they find a way to put aside their ardent feelings and channel some holiday magic in order to grant everyone’s Christmas wish?

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Shy lawyer Kevin Anderson is presented with an unexpected opportunity when he draws hunky litigator Erik Wilson’s name for their office’s secret holiday gift exchange. Kevin has pined for his friend for a long time, but he fears ruining their working relationship if Erik doesn’t return his feelings. The anonymity of the exchange gives him the chance to let Erik know someone is interested, so Kevin turns the gift into a game: twelve days of presents, each more suggestive, culminating with a Christmas Eve meeting—if Kevin finds the courage to see it through! Erik is intrigued by his secret Santa, who has given him something to look forward to during the holidays for the first time in years. But as Christmas approaches, he realizes he doesn’t want a mystery man; he wants his best friend, Kevin. When his attempts to instigate something with Kevin fail, Erik accepts the dinner invitation of his secret admirer. Little does he suspect that Santa’s naughty little helper might be just the man to make all his Christmas dreams come true in a holiday friends-to-lovers romance that progresses from sweet to spicy for two sexy lawyers.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Haunted by his years at war, Boston paramedic Gael Dominic spends his time saving other people’s lives. An empty house, a single friend, and living at work, Gael is not content with his existence, but he’s close. Gael was expecting his overnight shift on Thanksgiving to be the same as always—manic crowds, heart attacks...until catastrophe strikes, and Boston’s streets run with blood. On the run from an abusive and politically powerful father, Silas has been on the cold, mean streets of Boston for days, injured, hungry and alone. When he wakes up in the middle of a nightmare, he expects to die in the same alley he was calling home. Brought together by tragedy, Silas and Gael can’t resist their attraction. Gael may have saved Silas, but it’s his alleyway angel who brings Gael back to life. As Christmas approaches, Silas and Gael learn how to love, despite their pasts. And as Silas' past closes in, Gael learns the greatest gift he could ever give isn't something bought in a store, but freely given from the heart.

Word Count: Click here to reveal17509 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: In 1920s Cheltenham, Walter Webb has settled into a peacetime existence with relative ease. He's kept busy running the family grocer's shop with his father on Lower High Street, a working-class region of the famous Regency spa town. In his moments of leisure, he meets regularly with his ex-army pals that he served with in the Great War. But being a respectable grocer means that Walter must keep his occasional liaisons with other men brief and anonymous. When he meets Stanley, the attractive and likeable brother of a customer, who is staying with his sister after a debilitating bout of pneumonia, Walter is tempted to throw caution to the winds on the chance of something more with this particular man. Can these two men take a risk to find a lasting romance?

Word Count: Click here to reveal9000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Working in retail is brutal, especially during the holidays. For Sam, it means his back and knees are killing him, his patience is wearing thin...and his own holiday plans are probably getting canceled. Again. As Sam’s hopes dim for a relaxing Christmas with his family, he also misses Austin, the man he loves and who makes him kneel. He misses submitting, and he craves everything Austin gives him and makes him do. Shame he barely has the time or energy to faceplant in bed these days. But Austin always takes care of his submissive. And no matter what, he’s going to give Sam a Christmas he won’t forget. Season’s Beatings is a standalone holiday-themed short story.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40,500 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: It’s Christmas time, so ‘tis the season to be jolly, right? Well, Zach and Dwight beg to differ. As autumn turns into winter, this couple is in for the fight of their lives. This season will challenge them to their core. While Zach is preparing for a major change to his family, Dwight is trying to grasp the severity of his personal situation. As the happy couple travels up to mountains to spend the Christmas holiday, tensions will rise. Quite frankly, all hell breaks loose. Someone is holding on to a secret that can affect the rest of their lives. And once that secret is revealed, bombs will explode. Join us in the twelfth edition to the Life of a College Bandsman series as Jaxon Grant brings two of his top fan-favorite characters back to life as they embark on another unforgettable journey. Old flings will resurface. New life will form. However, when it’s all said and done, will Zach and Dwight stand this new test, or will this union go up in flames?

Word Count: Click here to reveal6400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Sometimes you have to go home again. When Bryce Edwards left Minnesota for the bright lights of Hollywood ten years ago, he was determined not to look back. He's built a solid acting career through his own hard work and talent. But when he finds himself unemployed right before Christmas, the memories he's been ignoring start to rise up and annoy him. Maybe it's time to take a different approach; maybe it's time to confront his past and not just use it as motivation for his next angsty scene. If he can make peace with what happened back then— the small-town bigots who drove him away, and his first boyfriend who refused to leave with him— maybe he'll be free to move on to something better. He's not sure what “something better” will look like, but he's finally ready to get on a plane, go home, and find out.   64,000 words

Word Count: Click here to reveal28000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Fear took him away, but longing brought him back… Six years ago, Nikolas Steele’s heart was broken when his best friend—the man who he thought was his forever—walked out on him without an explanation. Now, Ky Kendall is back in town, just in time for the holidays. When he shows up at Nikolas’s Santa Shop with a little girl who looks like him, Nik has questions. In a time of need, Ky steps up to play the part of Santa’s Helper to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, but neither of them expect those old sparks to fly. Despite their renewed passion, Ky’s still running scared and Nikolas knows that at any moment, their fragile relationship could be shattered once more. And this time, he isn’t sure if he’s strong enough to survive it. Second Chances is a 28,000 word MM contemporary romance novella with a guaranteed HEA, and no cliffhangers or cheating. Each book in the Sheltered Hearts series can be read as a stand alone.

Word Count: Click here to reveal9200 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A Secret Santa Gift Exchange offers more than gifts to two co-workers. It opens a path to talk, learn more about secrets, and deal with a bully. Quiet, strait-laced David Appleton thinks he’s going to have a problem at work. A new co-worker discovers his secret in the locker room. Unable to confront someone, David let him walk away. Now he worries everyone will know his deepest held secret. A secret hidden under his signature vest, tie, and trousers. Since walking in on his co-worker, CJ O’Connell tries to get a moment to speak with the shy David, but nothing works. His last hope – the Secret Santa Gift Exchange party. Perhaps a special gift can peel away the secrets.

Word Count: Click here to reveal83,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Reeling from the news that his parents are divorcing, Pete Morgan starts his junior year at college cynical about love and commitment. Although his new openness to one-night stands does wonders for his sex life, fighting his romantic nature proves harder than he’d anticipated. He soon finds himself pining for a glamorous senior, Aidan, who doesn’t mind taking Pete to bed but shows no interest in commitment—at least not with Pete. And Pete’s attempt at a “friends-with-benefits” relationship with sophomore Jed leaves Pete feeling empty. One bright spot in Pete’s year is Matthew, an easygoing graduate student who assists Pete in making his first film. Matthew has some baggage too, and has sworn off relationships and sex altogether, so Pete feels safe to enjoy their friendship. But he falls for Matthew anyway, not able to fight his growing conviction that Matthew is the perfect guy for him. Even if Pete can accept that he made a mistake when he turned his back on relationships, that doesn't mean Matthew will feel the same. With a few life lessons under his belt, Pete’s ready to take a chance on love. As he finds the courage to bare his heart to Matthew, he can only hope that Matthew will take a chance with him.

Word Count: Click here to reveal13000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Dr. Dillon Shaw hiked to a remote lake on Christmas Eve to close one chapter of his life, with no idea what came next. He didn’t expect ‘next’ to be getting tackled into the mud, or gunshots, or a burly cop in trouble. . About 13,000 words. (Note a content warning for violence, and transient mention of infant death.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal29,610 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Recent graduate Dr. Fenton Miller takes December off to decide which job offer to accept. Then he meets his landlord, sous chef John Barton. Suddenly, thinking about his career becomes his last priority. A better option might be a month-long roll between the sheets with John. While John is attracted to Fen and might even agree to his plan, John has got more pressing matters to worry about. His past has arrived in tiny Stone Acres from San Francisco and is intent on sucking him back into a life he hated. Promising to help John and shelter him if necessary, Fen finds he’s also being threatened by a homophobic father who doesn’t find Fen as entertaining as his kids do. As they wade through their problems during the happiest time of the year, Fen and John rely more and more on each other for happiness.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal138,550 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Sidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories in this book are told from three different points of view: William Matheson’s, covering the majority of the events from 2002 to 2009, including his work at the WBIS and his relationship with Theo Bascopolis, a former rent boy. A Christmas story, told from Patrick (the Antichrist) Mulcahy’s POV, takes place in 2004. Two other stories are future fic and are from Mark Vincent’s POV, one about his anniversary and the other about his birthday. An additional story is included, the missing epilogue from Complications, featuring Rebecca Goddard, Matheson’s onetime secretary, who’s actually not the dumb blonde she appeared. Is It You? – Wills meets Theo Bascopolis and wonders if he could be the one. Sway – Wills goes along with Theo’s assumption that he can’t dance. This Simple Phrase – Wills and Theo spend their first Christmas together. Goodbye to Love – Wills returns home to the apartment he shares with Theo to find his lover has left him. Wills intends to discover why. To Be Loved – Wills has asked Theo to marry him, and they celebrate their first Easter as engaged men in Cambridge with Wills’s family P.S. I Love You – Wills and Theo get married and welcome a new addition to their little family. Dedicated to the One I Love – In 2004, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts. For their first anniversary, Wills decides to take advantage of that and takes Theo to Cambridge so they can be legally married. Happy Anniversary, Baby redux – It’s Mark and Quinn’s anniversary, and Mark muses about how they got there. The Very Best Christmas Ever (So Far) – Pat Mulcahy, aka the Antichrist, has turned his life around and now lives with the Mathesons. On the trip to Washington, he meets someone who just might make this the best Christmas ever for him. When Complications Arrive at Your Door – This is the missing epilogue from Complications. Rebecca Goddard, daughter of the former WBIS doctor, has decided making herself scarce after Mark Vincent discovered her part in the events that went down in 2004 is a good idea. Five years later, she’s no longer looking over her shoulder, but maybe she should be. Trick or Treat – It’s Halloween, and Wills and Theo take their children trick or treating. Happy Birthday, Baby Redux – Mark Vincent has a birthday coming up, but his husband is out of town and won’t be there to celebrate with him. In addition, it’s snowing.

Word Count: Click here to reveal19656 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Max Futé and Avery “Smitty” Schmidt are both doctors who work for the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security. They’ve settled into a comfortable relationship, and although Max assures him otherwise, Smitty is waiting for the other shoe to drop. That will be when Charles Browne, Max’s former lover, realizes what he’s let slip through his fingers and comes to take Max back. Although Charles had enjoyed having Max in his bed, he’s always declared he wasn’t gay. And finding solace with other men after Max left him had nothing to do with ... anything. Now, however, he’s found a woman who ticks all his boxes in spite of her somewhat kinky tastes. Will Santa give them each what they want most this Christmas?

Word Count: Click here to reveal42000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: This Christmas they'll get the most precious gift of all... Cam The holiday season is my favorite time of the year, but this year feels different. Greg and I have built a life together and now we’re ready for the next step—a family of our own. But when our plans for a surrogate seem unattainable, I start to wonder if the universe is telling us it’s not meant to be. It breaks my heart to think we might not have the child of our dreams. Still, when the snow starts to fall and Christmas comes to Collier’s Creek, I can't shake the feeling that something wonderful is just around the corner. Greg I’ve always been the realist in our relationship. After everything we've been through—my accident, Cam’s mom’s illness, the way life seems to keep throwing curveballs—maybe it’s a sign that we’re not supposed to have kids. But seeing the look in Cam’s eyes, his unshakable belief that we’ll be fathers one way or another, gives me hope. I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep believing that having a family is just a matter of time. Silver Linings, a heartwarming holiday romance, filled with love and hope and the sweetest gift of all. Celebrate the holidays with the men of Collier’s Creek, where magic fills the air and irresistible romances are the highlight of the festive season. Six low-angst romances, each filled with heartwarming moments and swoon-worthy romance.

Word Count: Click here to reveal14000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Being called upon to pull Santa’s sleigh is an honour for any reindeer shifter, but for Dashiel the timing couldn’t be worse. Stuart was looking forward to his Christmas Eve date with Dashiel, only to have him cancel at the last minute. He puts his disappointment aside and instead focuses on making his younger brother’s Christmas as wonderful as it can be, despite the loss of their parents the previous winter. While flying over his home town, Dashiel spots a young boy on the streets, and he knows he has to help. When the young runaway turns out to be his date’s little brother, he brings him on board the sleigh, determined to see him safely home to Stuart. Can a reindeer shifter pull Santa’s sleigh, reunite two brothers, and find love this Christmas?

Word Count: Click here to reveal22000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Javier Fernandez is a climate scientist living in a research station near the South Pole. Since his husband was killed in a car crash, he’s preferred to be alone, and is less than thrilled to have a junior scientist thrust upon him by his rich patron. Col Steele is a trans man fleeing a bad break-up. He is ready for the next step in his career, and eager to spend Christmas anywhere but at home. When a crack in the ice separates the two men from safety, they are forced to come to terms with their own losses and each other. About the Escape From the Holidays series: For the second year in a row, Mischief Corner Books is putting out a winter holiday collection – ten stories revolving around various December holidays: The end of year holidays can get overwhelming for anyone. Things to do. People to see. Last minute work obligations to take care of. Sometimes it’s just easier to escape from it all, running away from the responsibilities and expectations, or ignore the underlying disappointment from relatives who don’t see eye-to-eye with you. Because escaping the holiday grind can lead to new, unexpected paths, and breathe new life into one that’s been stuck in a rut. Giving something to run to instead. Sometimes, getting away from it all lets you know what you really have. Sometimes, taking a chance on the unknown leads to what you really want.

Word Count: Click here to reveal44920 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Whatever your romance reading preference -- gay virgin, opposites attract, friends to lovers, or simply fun how-they-met stories -- this collection contains a variety of sweet, contemporary, short gay romances, sure to make you smile. Rewritten and re-edited, these stories were previously published singly and are available now in one collection! Contains the stories: King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate Born to Be Wild The Straggler Now and Forever Moving On Moving Along Dropping Quarters Nevermore Photo Shoot Okay, Then Preface I love short stories. Sometimes a brief “snapshot” taken from a couple’s larger story is all that’s wanted. The narrative of “how they met” is the focus of six of the shorts in this set—quirky tales ranging from meeting at a charity fundraiser, to college kids pranking each other, to a mishap at a XXX adult video arcade. Also included is a story featuring a well-established couple’s wedding dilemma, a friends-to-lovers tale, a coming-out-of-the-closet drama, and a continuation short that follows one of those how-we-mets. Rounding out this collection is an account revisiting the main characters from my full-length novel, ’Til Death Do Us Part. All of these stories are contemporary, although one has a bit of paranormal flavor to it. Heat ratings range from “fairly sweet” to “rather steamy.” Excepting the final story, all were originally written in 2008 and early 2009. One (“Photo Shoot”) started out as a prompt word ficlet that I later fleshed out to a more complete story. Each has received a thorough overhaul, some more extensive than others. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them. Keywords: short story, short stories, collection, meet cute, slice of life, kindle unlimited, ebook, print, paperback