holiday

Word Count: Click here to reveal29000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sofia Cancino is tired of her mundane life, her artificial environment and her large, boisterous family descending every holiday season. She's promised herself this year will be different and books a stay on the exclusive—and expensive--holiday-themed resort, Yule Planet. She looks forward to being pampered while reconnecting with Old Earth traditions steeped in the magic and mysticism of nature. Everything will be perfect and she'll leave as a more authentic human, better connected to her roots. Naturally, things go horribly wrong. Sofia's landing pod goes off course and instead of stepping out on the landing pad at the resort, she finds herself in the snow-swept perpetual winter of the planet's hinterlands. If that wasn't bad enough, she's "rescued" by a band of criminals on work release who run deliveries to the resort from far-flung shuttle delivery sites. They refuse to take her, a paying customer, to the resort and insist on dragging her along on their parcel run. Riding giant monsters. In frigid weather. Not to mention, Marta, who handles the monsters, obviously hates her. If Sofia survives her vacation, she's definitely yelling at someone's supervisor until she gets a refund.

Word Count: Click here to reveal4800 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealNon Binary, Polyamorous, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: When secrets thaw, can love endure? Tahl navigates the melting mess of love, identity, and secrets as ey face the chilling task of revealing eir true self to Enfys, eir partner, before they weave their lives together. Ey promised Enfys ice bears for Midwinter, but neglected to tell him that ey and eir kin are the ice bears. Now Tahl's fears of rejection might freeze the warmth of their relationship before Enfys' embrace can melt away the barriers between them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A stolen Christmas present brings together two strangers who long for hearth and home at the holidays.   It's mere days before Christmas when the gift Clayton intends to give to his nephew, an antique Bowie knife and hand-beaded sheath, is stolen. Clayton must track them down before Christmas morning. A lost & found ad is posted for the Christmas knife's safe return, bringing scammers crawling out of the woodwork who only want the reward. That is, until Clayton gets a call from a man named Kyle, who says he just wants to return the knife and sheath to Clayton, and he doesn't want the reward. Is it just another scam or can Clayton trust him? Clayton takes a risk and heads to Kyle's house to pick up the Christmas knife. Over the phone, Kyle's voice becomes Clayton's only beacon as he makes his way through a whiteout blizzard. After a long drive across the prairies during a raging, pre-Christmas winter storm, will Clayton find more than what he is looking for? Contemporary m/m romance, holiday blizzard, fireplace kisses, lost presents, long drives, family, contemporary, sweet, HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal29057 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas. Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail. When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?

Word Count: Click here to reveal21534 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Josh has stepped back into the closet for a guy, but how long can he stay there? Life in a college town suits Josh Cassidy. He has good friends and neighbors, and the bookshop café he runs with his family is thriving. As the winter holidays begin, Josh finds himself enamored with police officer Alex Curiel, an old friend who has recently moved back to town. The trouble is, Alex isn’t ready for the world to know he’s attracted to men. At Alex’s request, Josh agrees to closet their relationship, though the secrecy quickly becomes a burden. When Josh realizes he is falling for Alex, his ability to hide his feelings from the world begins to slip, and he’s forced to decide if love is enough to keep him hiding behind closed doors. A Hometown Holiday is a 21.5K sex-buddies-to-lovers MM novella. It features a bookshop owner with a fondness for jazz music, a closeted cop who could be Mr. Right if only he’d give himself a chance, and the warm, fuzzy HEA that both guys deserve.

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Summary: Jonah Beecham is a down on his luck cowboy, stuck in Vegas with no money, no job, no friends, and Christmas rapidly approaching. Although he’d been promised a job as a bullfighter, the job falls through, and he’ll be sleeping in his truck for Christmas. In a fit of desperation, he drops a coin in an old-fashioned slot machine and wins enough to put gas in his truck… plus a little something extra. Rather than press his luck, he decides to leave the casino, but the universe isn’t done with him yet. Zach Evans is a television writer from Los Angeles who loves all things cowboy. He’s in Las Vegas to do some research at an end of year rodeo event. Too wary to approach any of the sexy cowboys he sees, he finally takes a chance when he bumps into Jonah. Spending the next week in Zach’s bed might seem like Jonah’s luck has changed, but when Jonah realizes he’s falling for a man who lives in a city where none of his skills are employable, he’s got a choice to make. Fear of the unknown will cost him Zach, but accepting that the universe has more luck in store for him might be more than he can handle.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18600 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rio and Caden have been together for a few years now. It’s a rare weekend they get to spend alone. When Rio suggests they get away to Tahoe for the weekend a few weeks before Christmas, Caden is too excited to even think of saying no. They start their trip and even though they think they’ve planned for every emergency, they can’t control what Mother Nature has in store for them. When the car in front of them spins out in the newly fallen snow, they stop to help and soon find out that Caden’s not as alone in this world as he had originally thought. A few more planned surprises make for a special weekend for these hard-working guys who really deserve a weekend getaway.

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 reveal13084 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The most wonderful time of the year is about to get even better. On a cold, rainy December morning, Finn’s beloved Grampa, his best friend and rock, makes a friend outside their home who he invites in for coffee. The last thing Finn expects is Nelson, a man with a painful past, who is beautiful and generous and turns Finn’s knees into jelly. What starts out as a chance to get out of the rain, soon becomes more as Nelson helps Finn get ready for the Christmas market. They bond over coffee and fabric and Mariah Carey. Can handmade Christmas ornaments and an understanding heart give Nelson the love he’s been denied?

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

Summary: It’s never too late for a second chance at love… or is it? Rayne Sadler left the tiny town of Holiday Pines and his childhood sweetheart, Emilio Rives, to make a name for himself in the world of interior design. For twelve years, he never looked back. Now he has the successful career he wanted, but no one to share his life. Emilio isn’t happy when Rayne returns to Holiday Pines to renovate the local playhouse. The town wants to stimulate the failing tourist industry, but Emilio has no interest in reviving the ashes of his relationship with Rayne. Yet shared memories and experiences are powerful things. As the playhouse is restored to its former glory, the friendship between Rayne and Emilio slowly returns as well, and their chemistry is as powerful as ever. Rayne has designs on Emilio’s heart, and he sets out to prove it. Will the magic of Christmas thaw Emilio’s heart, or will it remain as cold as mountain snow?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: THE MAIN EVENT Leslie Scott couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it...and, this one's a doozy. After years of blissful co-habbing, Leslie plans to ask the love of his life, Oliver Brown, for his hand in marriage. Leslie agrees to help with the Kissmas Drag Stravaganza at his dear friend's nightclub, Club Delish, which is also the site of the impending proposal. Every detail is planned with Swiss watch precision: enjoy the show, bring Oliver back to a private room, seduce him then pop the question. But, as with all things Leslie, his scheme goes tits up. Never one to shy away from drama and public displays of affection, this proposal turns out to be one for the books.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Spells & Stardust is Scott's first anthology - eight sci fi and fantasy shorts that run the gamut from regeneration to redemption. The Bear at the Bar: A gay fish out of water tale with a pinch of magic. Tight: What happens when your lover disappears in midair? Morgan: The year when everything changed. Re-Life: What if you were reborn in a strange new future? A New Year: They met every eleven years. And each time, Hank's life changed. Repetition: What if you wanted to go back in the closet? Gargoyle: Sometimes you get what you deserve. Sometimes it happens on All Hallows Eve. Avalon: A few bright moments in the sun, stolen from outside time. Most of these stories have been previously published in various anthologies and journals. This is the first time they have all been collected in one place.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Tandy has never fit in with the others at the North Pole, whether it’s his size or love for computers. But he wants to contribute to the mission of making the world’s children happy. Every elf does. Taking time away from his baby — a new process for the Nice and Naughty lists — to do the yearly census on the Isle of Misfit Toys just doesn’t fit into his schedule. It seemed like every time El turned around, there was another elf getting under foot for a census. Did the elves think that toys just disappeared from the Isle? And those that arrived were accounted for before they arrived. All El wanted at this point in his life was to become a baker at the North Pole. He’d had the love of a child already and Jack Frost did it hurt when he was no longer in his heart. Maybe if he avoided the elf this year, they’d just leave him to his cookies. Can the magic of the holidays bring these two together? El and Tandy both need help healing and isn’t Christmas the season of miracles?

Word Count: Click here to reveal5200 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Oliver volunteers for Crisis at Christmas to help the homeless. The last thing he expects is that he'll meet someone.

Word Count: Click here to reveal5618 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Gavin and Matthew just want to get home to enjoy Christmas Eve in their safe, warm apartment. Should they walk or take a cab? But will either option do the trick when Victor, suffering from his holiday blahs, is determined to undermine this happy twosome at every turn? Years ago, Victor made the unfortunate mistake of coming out to his family on Christmas. Why couldn’t he have picked a random summer day? Can Victor’s husband Bryan pull him out of his gloomy mood in order to give the popular Gavin and Matthew the merry Christmas they deserve? Keywords: writer with holiday blahs/blues killing off characters...or not, Christmas, fun sweaters, short story, supportive family

Word Count: Click here to reveal25640 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Christmas used to be a time of joy for me, but since my mother's death three years ago the holiday has lost all meaning, becoming nothing but a harsh reminder of what I've lost. I've become bitter and skeptical of everyone around me, and the cold aloofness has kept me from being hurt that deeply again. But this year the thought of yet another blue Christmas alone sends me on a path that will change my life forever. Trigger Warning: Attempted suicide.

Word Count: Click here to reveal65000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It’s recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld’s favorite time of the year and he’s just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush—Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float—Santa’s sleigh—gets damaged. Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa’s sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk. Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together. Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!

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 reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Christmas is a time of love, second chances…and getting stuck on a project with the one coworker who drives you insane. Adam Reynolds loves working as a graphic designer for Roland-Wainwright, but he could do without being tied to so-called marketing genius Jason Edmond. The man might know his way around a campaign, but he’s boring and far too demanding. Though, Adam has to admit that the man is incredibly sexy and maybe there is a little mystery about what he does when he’s not wrapped in his form-hugging suit all day. Jason ecstatic to be selected to work on this unique marketing campaign for Roland-Wainwright, but he’s not looking forward to dealing with Adam’s know-it-all attitude. Okay, so maybe the guy creates visually stunning graphics that are so far ahead of his peers…and maybe he is occasionally distracted by Adam’s sinful mouth. Jason and Adam must find a way to work together to complete the campaign without killing each other. And if they succeed, the prize at the end stands to change both their lives in ways they never imagined.

Word Count: Click here to reveal69553 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Four short contemporary gay romances by best-selling M/M author Nell Iris about finding — and holding on to – “The One.” Collected together in an exclusive box set for the first time are the stories:  Unconditionally: After six years together, Luca and Gus are finally getting married. On their wedding day Luca’s mother sees her flamboyant son wearing a veil and explodes. Her hateful words trigger traumatic memories and instead of walking down the aisle, Luca runs away. When Gus realizes Luca is missing he follows him, intent on convincing him to come back. Will he succeed in time for the wedding ceremony? Find His Way Home: Elliot is miserable living in the big city. He longs for tranquility but is unwilling to move away from his partner Mick. After a dramatic event, he flees and goes back home to a cabin in the mountains. Slowly he regains his calm, but being away from Mick is hard. When a ghost from Elliot’s past shows up, he’s faced with a hard decision: stay on the mountain alone or go back to the city, and Mick? Nobody Else’s: Beckett Cooper has been secretly infatuated with his BFF’s younger brother Levi for years. Levi Byrne has liked Beckett for as long as he can remember. When an opportunity presents itself for them to get to know each other better, they both grab it and make the best of it. Will the stars align in their favor and lead Beckett and Levi to a happily ever after? Unexpected Christmas: Thrown together by family drama, strangers Daniel and Axel end up spending Christmas Day getting to know each other. Axel is nothing like Daniel expected. Behind the scary-looking exterior, he hides the heart of a teddy bear and between Disney princesses and erotic poetry, Daniel no longer fears for his life … but for his heart.