Caught up in the demands of their own life and work, many strong, independent men do not have time for love. Their lifestyle leads to being loners and at times they hardly realize something critical is missing from their world. This is when a devoted canine sees a need to bring about crossing their paths with the perfect partner and contriving a chance for them to stumble into the best possible relationship. Cupid could not ask for a more clever helper than a loving dog -- or sometimes two.<br><br>Contains the stories:<br><br><strong>Doggone Love:</strong> Rancher Damon Carhart expects to spend the rest of his life alone. Then an injury to a beloved stock dog sends him to the nearest veterinary clinic for help. Once he entrusts his canine friend to veterinarian Eric Vann’s care, everything begins to change. And once desire gets a bite on him, what can he do but go along for the wild ride?<br><br><strong>The Maltese Terror:</strong> Landscape architect Nick and rancher Caleb are an unlikely pair. So are their dogs, a Maltese and a Blue Heeler, but the dogs soon form a bond. They seem to be conspiring to get their masters together. Can a couple of canine cupids make it happen?<br><br><strong>A New Leash on Life:</strong> Frenemies, once almost lovers ... Not happily back in their old home town, Justin and Barry have to agree how to handle that old attraction since it refuses to die. Business and pleasure threaten to tangle into a hangman’s knot. Can they somehow find a new leash on life?<br><br><strong>Love is Snowblind:</strong> Aspiring sled dog racer Dylan trusts his beloved lead dogs completely. Following an accident in dangerous circumstances, they accept cheechako Grey into their pack. Can he then refuse the newcomer admission into his life?

Melissa Hartford, burdened by guilt over her domineering father's death, meets Lawton Kane in a wild west re-enactment. She must become independent, and fears Lawton's strength will curtail this, yet her heart recognizes him as her savior.<br><br>Haunted by ghosts from a brutal past, Lawton dares not let Melissa close lest enemies target him through her. When one closes in, they must combine forces for safety though enforced intimacy creates its own hazards.

Financial advisor Kit Poindexter has been trained to recognize only monetary success. She needs a million dollars to rescue her late father’s near-bankrupt company. A real estate deal for her new employer in Tucson, Arizona might get her there. Although he rescues her from a sudden blizzard in the White Mountains, gorgeous hunk Bret McClintock creates an unwelcome distraction. Although a very tempting one for no nonsense Kit.<br><br>Then she learns he’s not the blue collar guy she’d assumed but a professor at the university with a PhD, studying Native Americans on the land her employer hopes to acquire for a foreign investor to develop into a pricey resort. Suddenly Kit’s clear-cut goals tumble into a heap of jackstraws -- from which she cannot extract even one without the whole stack collapsing. Instead of a winning deal she is about to lose everything, both old goals and new.

Karola, daughter of Diana, has grown up in the remote forest, with dryads and kelpies for her nursemaids. She has never seen another human until she encounters a hunter trespassing in ‘her’ woods. She is not sure what to make of him since they look very different but they begin to converse and then to play a few games. This is a novelty to her but she discovers some are very pleasurable.<br><br>Damien is the son of the leader of a regional village and is fascinated by the beautiful girl he discovers in a distant forest he has not visited before.. He finds her more appealing than the girls at home with which he is familiar. Her innocence and ignorance surprise him, but teaching her promises many delights.

With her young son, Amy has fled an abusive relationship. The thought that her ex and his crime-focused family will find her, terrifies her. A remote mining town in Arizona provides temporary refuge. Then she learns her next door neighbor is a cop, and what a cop! He's a gorgeous single father. But back home most of the police officers were in the Stavros family's pockets. Will Arizona cops be different enough to trust?<br><br>Jack is struggling to raise his motherless daughter and uphold the law in Azurite, Arizona. His new neighbor stirs his libido but she seems to have some fearsome secrets as well as a son about his daughter's age. When the children form a friendship, Jack and Amy's worlds begin to converge. Can he put an end to her nightmare and also be the man she needs?

Raised by her father after her mother’s death due to a drunk driver, Bonnie Verdugo has grown to be very focused and driven. Her ultimate goal is to become a doctor. Meanwhile she works as an EMT while she takes courses to become a nurse practitioner, each effort a step toward her dream. She has no time for romance or a social life. Then a hiking accident puts her in the care of Jerry Bertini, a fine orthopedic surgeon, but also a man with a reputation.<br><br>Jerry Bertini has always been a rebel, going against the family tradition to become a physician instead of a lawyer. He enjoys being the black sheep. Despite his reputation as a playboy, he has a serious side. His career is almost his life, and he’s also trying to raise his motherless daughter. Jennifer is now a teenager and suddenly a handful of trouble. So is Bonnie, the saucy little Latina EMT who ends up under his care when she breaks her leg. He doesn’t suspect how quickly she will get under his skin until it is too late. Now what will he do?

Although she’s the daughter of landed Mexican aristocracy, Margarita Estrada believes the people’s revolution is in the right. When she meets dashing bandit general Carlos Montaña, she has even more reason to espouse the revolutionary cause.<br><br>Then Carlos crashes her family’s Twelfth Night fiesta and her life erupts in totally unexpected ways, bringing her innocence to a sudden end. Can Margarita protect her family from brutality and also live her fantasy as a revolutionary’s mistress?

Princess of a Celtic-analog land, Jaelle’n is snatched by slave traders and taken far to the south where she is bought by a wealthy stranger who is known to polish his purchases to be prime pleasure slaves worthy of the most rich and aristocratic masters. As she goes through the exotic training, she gradually comes to regard her master with more fondness than she intended. Thus when she and several others are taken back to the market to be sold for top prices she is disconsolate.<br><br>Aquilar recognizes quality when he sees it and is sure the flame haired exotic beauty is almost beyond price. He never gets attached to a slave but this one is unique. When it comes time for her to be sold, he finds it hard to permit that to happen, yet what can he do? Once she is on the block, there are no more options. However, he is not without resources and stratagems. In the end, who has tamed who?

January Farrell comes to Riverton, Arizona to follow her dream of working in law enforcement. Little does she guess her training officer will seriously ruffle her normal level-headed manner as well as stir her libido. He manages to press every hot button she has. Raised a tomboy who tagged after her adored big brother, Jan can hold her own in the male-centered world of the squad room. She can even face the harsher aspects of her chosen career with aplomb, but can she tolerate Thad Gunn’s sly and hurtful quirks and resist the tug of lust long enough to get through probation?<br><br>Although a good cop, Thad Gunn carries some heavy baggage. He’s known as a tough but fair officer, and one who puts his rookies through the wringer. When he is assigned to train January, all he can think of is making her quit. Somehow he must get her out of the line of fire, clear of the danger zone, sensing that it would kill him to lose her. He isn’t sure he knows what love is but he does know he desperately needs to keep her safe. When she won’t cooperate, what can he do?<br><br>Dealing with the day-to-day business of police work and finally tracking down a dangerous serial rapist, Jan and Thad, both individually and together, must confront a deluge of challenges before January gets her Gunn.

Bea McIntyre fell for an old scheme and ended up the mistress -- or actually, the sex slave -- of a dissolute rancher named Murdock. Escaping in the middle of the night with only a few small treasures, she has no real plan except to get away.<br><br>When her mare bruises a hoof, Bea winds up at the blacksmith shop of Angus O’Toole. All she can offer him for his help is herself, but he seems to be satisfied with that bargain.<br><br>When Murdock sends his hired guns after her, things get dicey. But Bea is no hothouse flower. Between her and Angus, they heat up the days and nights, yet will they also triumph over the black hats?

Librarian Emily Dennison has always loved history, but catapulted into 1889 Tombstone, she finds life far from the idyll she imagined. Meeting Zach Tremaine, a newspaperman from Philadelphia, she gets involved in his quest to rescue his younger sister from her abusive paramour, gambler Jake McEuen. This leads to more adventure than Emily ever thought possible. Eventually she has to confess to Zach that she is from far away, not in distance but in time. Fearful of being torn back to 2000, but missing her modern conveniences, she hardly dares to love him though she aches to.<br><br>Zach isn’t quite sure what to make of Emily, so different from any woman he has ever known but so sweet and spunky she wins his admiration and soon his heart. Just when he thinks he has convinced her they belong together, a bolt of lightning tears her away. Or was it Joker Jake McEuen, seeking revenge? Can Zach live long enough to search until he finds her? Can she get back to tomorrow in time to save him from McEuen’s murderous rage?

Stifled by her restrictive mentor and clientele in the Bay Area, artist Arabella seeks a new home in Sedona, Arizona. The ambience rejuvenates her creativity even as she encounters an earlier denizen of the region who turns her narrow life inside out! How can an invisible entity possibly awaken her deeply sensual nature and school her in the carnal pleasures she’d felt were greatly over-rated? Will she be able to channel this new energy into some incredible artistic efforts?<br><br>Zeth fled Lemuria when a natural catastrophe of earthquake, volcanic eruption, and tsunami swallowed his homeland. He led a boatload of survivors on a quest to seek a new home. The group struggled and splintered disastrously, leaving him one of a very few survivors. After a terrible conflict, he is condemned to remain a disembodied spirit until he can again become human and modify the tragic events in which he played a large part. Millenia later, he finds a new resident making her home in the spot he has come to consider his. She is an artist -- using only the power of his intellect and energy can he seduce her into visualizing a likeness which he can take to create the new body he requires?<br><br>Once incarnate again, how will he manage to gather the folk needed to reverse the ancient curse and repair broken karmic patterns? Perhaps Arabella is also the magnet drawing several of them to the scene. Once he is a man again, Zeth must first enact the ancient drama anew and then choose whether to accept his freedom to go on to the spirit realm or remain to live a normal span as a human.

Mari McCabe’s life centers around remote Red Canyon, Arizona and her horse training. Her secondary goal is earning her high school diploma. She is troubled by unanswered questions about who she is and how she came to be living as the ward of half-Indian horseman Berne McCabe.<br><br>When a controversial construction project starts nearby, her ordered life is shaken by sudden changes. Horse training may be dangerous work, but danger is relative. She learns some relatives can be dangerous indeed and loyalties may be severely tested. Are her little dog and the construction boss she recently met her only real friends?<br><br>As superintendent on his first big construction job, Dusty Layne has to prove his capabilities. A chance meeting with a young woman leads to an unlikely friendship. He’s single, following a painful divorce, but feels the age gap between them is too great to attempt a relationship. Mari seems to have no such doubts.<br><br>When those concerns converge with problems at the site and environmental protests, he confronts a major challenge. How can he reconcile these issues while he saves Mari from the grave danger created by her loyalty to him, especially when he’s not sure he can even save her from himself?

Fran returns to the rez, fleeing the abuse which terminated her modeling career. A life filled with too many wrenching losses has left her afraid to love.<br><br>Ben, burned by a woman who demanded more than he could give, is determined to find success with his small airline, not become another Indian drunkard or failure. He hasn’t got time for love.<br><br>Fran trusts Ben with her safety, even her spiritual healing, but not her heart. Ben finds Fran an irresistible puzzle. Can he solve it while he keeps his emotions untouched?

Viktor Yabaczill has built himself a comfortable if rather boring existence, concealing the fact he is Vampara, a member of one ancient vampire kind. His hobby and passion is chess. When he receives a mysterious challenge to a match, he hopes it will provide some excitement and liven up his tedious life. Little does he know just how exciting things can get.<br><br>Ekatrina Kelleher has a secret, actually several secrets. The most precious is the formula to move beyond existence as one of the undead to true eternal life. Long ago, she was slighted by an ignorant peasant lad. She has waited eons to get her revenge and intends to sample some lascivious thrills in the process.

Yerna Yatskievych left her humble beginnings on a poor farm to become one of the few female knights in Draconia. As a guard for the kingdom’s handsome younger prince, Yerna finds her role both wonderful and challenging. Of course, the prince is far above her reach, but a girl has to dream sometimes.<br><br>For Hazwell the Disposable, the trappings and perks of royalty hold little appeal. He wonders what will become of him when his older brother, Crown Prince Maximilian, becomes king. Now, with Max away, a few duties fall to Hazwell, revealing a life of which he will never have more than a tempting taste. But things start to go wrong when his young guard’s hesitant request to be relieved of a problem starts a chain of events with incinerating consequences. Then treachery and mischance bring about huge changes.<br><br>With this courageous young female knight at his side, Hazwell dares to reach and strive farther than he had ever dreamed, even to claiming an ancient family power and rising to incredible heights.

Colette deEstaing has adored Gaston, the son of her father’s master of horse, since they were both children. Now grown, she must wed an aristocratic friend of her noble father’s. When her fiancé assaults her in the stable, a savage stallion comes to her aid and kills the dissolute marquis.<br><br>That’s when she learns Gaston has inherited the ancient gift of shape-shifting into equine form. Shocked and fearful, she urges him to flee before he is accused of murder or witchcraft. But first she must convince him to take her virginity in one magical night of love.

Scarred by an abusive stepfather who destroyed his confidence and faith, Rob is adrift. Trying to live on the street, he falls under the domination of an older man who is only marginally kinder to him. This man, self-proclaimed leader of a Wiccan coven, is very arrogant and self-centered. Through this association, though, Rob obtains a job in a book store. He also serves as an assistant to Daniel in rites and ceremonies, albeit living in fear of making mistakes. At a sabbat gathering, he meets Sean.<br><br>Sean grew up in a Wiccan home and only left following his parents’ death in an accident. He has floundered along alone and now works as a nurse. Seeing a notice of a coven in his new home town, he attends a sabbat gathering. There he meets and is instantly drawn to Rob, seeing the gentle, truly good soul behind his shyness. Sean recognized he must woo the other man carefully and win his trust before they can begin a real relationship. Daniel stands in the way.<br><br>When Daniel’s overbearing ways finally create a rebellion in the group, Sean sees a chance to step in. Will he manage to show Rob that sex can be about caring, trust and love instead of domination and harsh control?

FBI profiler Kerry Satterfield feels she can never live down her mother’s sordid past. She pursues her chosen career with dogged determination that leaves no time for a life, certainly none for romance.<br><br>Then she gets a strange tip on her current case. She ends up prisoner of a man she hasn’t seen for over fifteen years before he hands her a most unorthodox means of breaking this case. If it fails, she’s in deep trouble. She may be anyway, because she finds Frank Ogden all too alluring.<br><br>Frank has cooperated with his stepbrother out of fear his mother will be killed if he doesn’t. He agrees to get the nosy FBI agent off Gary’s back, but he will not stand to see her hurt or killed. When he realizes she’s the girl he befriended when they were both teenagers, he can’t resist the opportunity to pick up where they had left off. Kerry is a hottie now even if she doesn’t realize it.<br><br>Then Kerry, Frank, and his friend Roy band together to bring Gary to justice. In the process they discover they make a great team, both armed and amorous.

Jest has been on his own since his mid-teens and still blesses the chance that let him realize his dream of playing percussion in a band that has become his substitute family. Although he misses the close sharing, he doesn't expect to find a partner and certainly not one as clearly out of his element as the man who one night wanders into the club where Jest's band plays, looking totally lost and friendless.<br><br>Greene has struggled to build himself a life far from the undisciplined communal community in which he grew up. He's lonely though, and not sure how to remedy that, so he works as a game programmer in Silicon Valley until he makes a faux pas at a party. Traveling aimlessly, he meets Jest and the other members of Taken By Storm, and is intrigued but terrified of slipping back into a disorderly world like the one of his childhood.<br><br>They say opposites attract, but can a rebel drummer and an uptight programmer find enough common ground for a relationship?

When life-long friends Hanson and Graber learn there may be a great wizard on the far side of the woods behind their village, they decide to seek him out. The source of the information may be suspect, but the lure proves too strong. In hopes of learning magic to rise above their current status as Hanson the Pigs and Graber the Firewood, they set out on this quest.<br><br>When they meet wizard Holzy, they’re both intrigued and intimidated. He makes them labor and suffer, but eventually begins to teach them the practice he calls “the feat of the wand,” which turns out to impart much energy and knowledge as well as unsuspected pleasures to both men.<br><br>A submerged attraction between them comes to the fore as Holzy awakens urges and desires they hardly even dreamed existed. But he keeps them entranced and bound to him. When Holzy makes a mistake, can Hanson and Graber apply their new powers to gain freedom from his spell and be acknowledged as his equals? Will they go home in triumph or be consigned to the salt mines?

Juan is on the run for his life when he stumbles across an abandoned Chihuahua pup. What better companion for his flight and then mascot for his initial foray into free enterprise in his new home? But dangerous enemies are determined to track him down. It takes a strong friend to help him survive.<br><br>Troy grew up in poverty and has clawed his way to success. Until he builds a foolproof security, he hasn’t got time for relationships, or so he tells himself. Then an amazing little dog and her equally amazing master charge into his life and he’s captured in a net of lust, danger and obligations he never expected to find.

Nevada-raised Nellie Campbell despairs of ever finding love because her father fiercely guards her chastity, keeping all virile men yards away from her. When she joins the hunt to capture a rogue stallion that has been stealing valuable mares from area ranchers, she soon learns Rogue Red is no ordinary horse. No way can she allow her father and the cowboys to kill or geld this magnificent creature.<br><br>To help him escape, she soon finds herself racing across the desert on the red stallion’s back, knowing there can be no return. All her father’s care to keep her pure will now be for naught because Rogue Red is also Steven Johns, descendant of a long line of shape-shifting were-horses. As a man he is even more gorgeous than he is as a horse!<br><br>Grief over the brutal slaying of his family has driven Steven to live in horse form for so long, his human side has almost been forgotten. Feisty yet charmingly naïve, Nellie reminds him there is more to life than leading his mares through the wilds while fighting off predators and angry ranchers. But will her father ever abandon the chase with the ultimate goal of seeing him rendered harmless?<br><br>It will take a tragedy and a heroic rescue to convince Jack Campbell that the right man for Nellie and the rogue stallion are both more than they seem.

LuAnne Lockner, the new lady in town, finds herself coming between two long term buddies, Burton Hart and Jesse Greenwood. Determined not to destroy their friendship and sensing they both would like to take things just a little farther, she arranges a wild weekend in Las Vegas ... with both of them. Just as she suspects, a very good time is had by all.

Midwestern college student Geri Wilcox is striving to gain education and experience in the amorous arts that were not available in her small farming community home town. Fate puts her in a class taught by Philippe Reynard, the sexiest and most exciting male she has ever seen. Exercising all her admittedly limited wiles, Geri brings herself to the professor's attention until, as both his public and private pupil, the lessons she desires are made available and exceed her wildest expectations. Fearlessly breaking taboos left and right, Geri forges ahead with her plan to become much more than a timid temptress ...

Young widow and artist Keely must reinvent her life after her husband’s sudden death. Her first step is to move to a new town. When her landlady hires a couple of itinerant painter-handymen to refurbish the house, Keely begins to awaken from her grief-spawned isolation. Inspired by the two good-looking workers, she explores a new focus for her art and discovers the exotic pleasures of a ménage for the first time.

Scottsdale, Arizona, princess Randi O'Neal, depressed over her lackluster love life, is heading home from a shopping trip when a monster truck demolishes her little sports car. When she awakes, she's in a strange place, even hotter than familiar Arizona summers, where she meets an out-of-this-world sexy mentor. While on this weird near-death experience, can she learn enough sexy tricks to fire up her staid MD fiancé and get the erotic thrills she craves?

Four of Deirdre O'Dare's best-selling M/M romances in one box set! Love and lust can strike at totally unexpected places and inopportune times. When two strong men fight a powerful attraction that slips up on them, sometimes a loyal and loving canine cupid needs to take matters in his or her paws to make it happen for a stubborn master! Contains the stories: A Cop and a Con: When a cop and a newly released convict cross paths, few cons can expect anything positive. Ike Hernandez meets a cop who seems different. Can he trust kindness to continue? Perry Parker became a police officer to help people. Could the man he picked up one stormy night be one? Dogjacked: Travel writer Trek stops in a small New Mexico town for gas only to have his car and dog stolen while he's in the quick stop. Officer Dan is a country boy at heart, and shy when he isn't able to hide in his uniform. Dashing and urbane Trek fascinates him. Does he dare to hope that Trek may pass his way again? Saved By Sam: When K9 officer Craig Rommel and his partner Samson burst into the club where Roy Dunham tends bar, he admires the officer but finds him overbearing. Then the team saves him from drug-driven violence. After he tends their gunshot wounds, he begins to adjust his impression. Soon he's trying to get to know them both much better. Schnickelfritz in Love: When Snick meets Athena, its love at first sight for the feisty miniature Schnauzer and the dignified greyhound Electrician Jake and detective Boz, the dogs' masters, are not as readily enamored but when forced to work together on a complex theft case at Jake's work site, danger and proximity combine to work aphrodisiac magic.

Stace, Spark, and Cass have been best buddies since their high school rodeo days. Now they work for a very special guest ranch that caters to gay men who need a break to escape from their high stress fast lane lives. Rainbow Ranch has a reputation for providing precisely the Wild West adventures each guest needs and desires with the cowboys of their hottest dreams. Stace doesn't intend to fall for a guest -- it's never happened before. Why now? What is so unique about this one? Jared Longford runs a cutting edge edutainment media company and wishes he could put aside the burdens of management and be valued for himself and not his prestige. He has grown to fear that's an empty dream. Persuaded to take a week long vacation on a guest ranch in New Mexico, he finds exactly the reprieve he needs and all the thrills he could hope for. Surrendering to Stace might be one way Jared can fulfill his most secret fantasy.

Spark, Stace, and Cass have been best buddies since their high school rodeo days. Now they work for a very special guest ranch that caters to gay men who need a break and escape from their high stress fast lane lives. Rainbow Ranch has a reputation for providing precisely the Wild West adventures each guest needs and desires with the cowboys of their hottest dreams. Spark is all a-twitch when he learns Lou Vetrano is coming back for a second visit. He's not used to guests making a lasting impression but there was something about the dashing Chicagoan he can't get out of his system. Is too much change coming into his life too fast? Lou had a great time on his first visit to Rainbow Ranch. He knows a lot of it was due to one blond hunk of a cowboy he can't wait to see again. Soon he senses things are starting to get a lot more serious than he expected or planned. How can he make a cowboy fit into his high finance life and why does he want to try? Then an unexpected attack by a hungry puma helps him put all the pieces of this puzzle together.

Two young men from very different backgrounds end up roommates at a state college in west Texas in the latter part of the turbulent sixties. Riki is the black sheep of a wealthy family, on his third and final chance to avoid the draft or disinheritance. His big dream is to be a hot guitarist with a rock band, and he has a weakness for recreational drugs that make him feel better about himself. Jerry is a true son of Bible Belt America, happy to be able to go to college and perhaps rise above the lower middle class level of his family. The two form an unlikely friendship that develops into a deeper bond as they experience drugs, sex, and rock n' roll in their heyday.

First-year Border Patrol officers Rhys Davis and Liam Malone have been friends since second grade. When their new assignment puts them on the front line in tracking down a vicious and inhuman killer, an unearthly Soul-Eater, along the southern border, they must call on every resource at their disposal. The most potent of these resources turns out to be memories they share from two thousand years ago, a time in the British Isles when they were partners in every way, forming an eternal bond that allowed them to defeat this same enemy in that lifetime. Now, Rhys and Liam can't help but wonder...will crossing the line from friends to lovers in this lifetime destroy their friendship or build on it?

Spark, Stace, and Casa have been best buddies since their high school rodeo days. Now they work for a very special guest ranch that caters to gay men who need a break and escape from their high stress fast lane lives. Rainbow Ranch has a reputation for providing precisely the Wild West adventures each guest needs and desires with the cowboys of their hottest dreams. Casa is worried when he sees Stace and Spark have found special partners in guests who’ve visited the ranch the past few months. He hates to be the only one left, but he doesn’t think that will work for him. He’s carried a secret torch for his boss way too long to change now. When Jason is hurt in a rodeo accident, Casa is the one who steps in to help and keep things going while Jason recovers. Having dealt life long with prejudice because he is Latino, Casa is afraid to let the other man know. Will matters be taken out of his hands? Jason has realized his dream of a dude ranch for gays. Will this end when his head wranglers hook up with guests, leaving him alone? But Casa, who has always been his secret favorite, steps in to help when Jason is injured and shows no inclination to hook up with a guest and withdraw. Instead, he makes himself almost indispensible. Does he have a hidden motive? Unbeknownst to Jason, Stace’s new partner Jared bears a striking resemblance to him, which makes the three cowboys wonder. Is there some connection and maybe bad blood between the two men? In an effort to bring the two face to face, the cowboys engineer a barbeque, unsure whether the result will be terrific or terrible.

Born to a carnival mother, Jack never knew his father. His mother died when he was in his teens, leaving him to fend for himself. However, Jack is not without skills and smarts. He perfects a knife and sword act where he keeps himself safe by making the steel blades go exactly where he wants them. Getting his GED and working to educate himself while keeping up his carnival act leaves no time for a social life, but he's been too busy to miss it. Doug comes from a very ordinary middle class background, but his parents sent him to college and he now has a good but boring job in IT. Although razzed about being gay back in high school, he has come to terms with his sexuality but has not found Mr. Right. When a druggie loser boyfriend moves out, Doug is lonely and hurt. Looking for distraction, he goes to the carnival and it's there he sees red-headed, mercurial Jack. The man is enthralling, the opposite of everything Doug is and knows. Can two men with such widely different lives find common ground to build a bond?

Wounded warrior Gary Sanchez gets a new lease on life from a visiting therapy dog while in the Veteran’s Administration hospital to recover. He knows at once what he wants to do when he gets out and back on his feet. With the help of Angie, a very special rescue dog, he follows this dream -- smack into a young doctor with a major canine phobia and a hard-ass attitude. Mirmar has struggled and suffered to get his MD and build a life in his adopted homeland. Childhood trauma has left him with a deep fear of dogs. When he sees one in his hospital, he’s ready to kick some serious butt. However, the man on the end of the leash is another matter entirely. What is it about the handsome Latino that draws him like a magnet? Can these two bridge their differences and find a way to fill the aching empty spot in their lives with each other? Only Angie knows for sure.

Ren Coulter is used to working alone. As a special agent in the Paranormal Operations Unit of the border patrol, he is to infiltrate a reputed drug lord’s compound in Nogales, Arizona. His mission is to learn the source of a very dangerous and addictive new drug. He goes in drag, disguised as a glamorous young woman, to catch Mendoza’s roving eye. Even before he meets Mendoza, he encounters a Mendoza’s striking body guard.. Despite his lone wolf habits, Ren sees advantages in working together. Still, trust comes slowly and not without a hitch, but soon they must rely on one another to survive. Darzul Onaygan has been sent from his home world of Arzula to blend in with the earthlings and help them fight off the evil alien invaders. Bisexual as most Arzulans are, many even able to switch gender at will, he finds Ren very attractive in both his guises. He sees Ren is interested but shocked to learn his new friend is not from earth. Darzul knows it takes more than hot sex to build a partnership. While outside threats may force them to work together, that alone cannot forge a bond. Will they live long enough to accomplish their mission and become real partners?

"Sequel to Treading Dangerous Ground Some years ago, an event now called Hightower’s Betrayal ended the existing settlement of old world Native Americans on the obscure world of Atsileigh. But was Hightower the betrayer or the betrayed? Floyd Jaxon, Nathan No Horses, and Jamison Hightower, nephew of the earlier Hightower, meet as cadets at the Unifleet Training base. They alternately razz each other and share in some steamy interludes as they are drawn into the growing plot to mark Hightower’s Betrayal with a return to Atsileigh. Can their budding friendship withstand the dangers and demands they must face? Will Nate’s contempt for the Hightower name destroy any chances for a long term connection among them? The future looms ahead, filled with threat and promise. How the three young men grow to deal with it and each other will impact them all."

"Gently reared Martin finds himself adrift without means when his uncle goes bankrupt with gambling debts. He seeks a livelihood as tutor to the young children of an earl on a remote Welsh estate. Arriving on a dark and stormy night that sets the tone for his whole adventure, he falls into intrigue, mystery, and powerful new loves -- for the three traumatized children and their enigmatic guardian. Dylan has been called back from service in South Africa when his elder brother supposedly finds his wife with another man, kills the pair and then himself. He’ll now have to assume most duties of the earldom, raise his nephew to majority and care for three orphaned children. Desperate for help, he hires a young man sight unseen to become their tutor while he works to uncover the facts of the scandalous tragedy that tore apart his family. Both matters reveal surprising results."

"Homeless for over two years, Merl has hunkered down to endure a second winter in Eden, Colorado. He has lost the ability to trust or accept kindness as anything but a sneaky attempt to weaken for an attack. He sells aluminum cans and other trash to survive, knowing he should attempt to get back into the mainstream but he lacks the will to try. Nate has led a sheltered and privileged life as the only child of wealthy older parents, now deceased. He is working on a photo journalism piece about the homeless people in Eden when he first encounters Merl. The big man impresses him so much that when an early blizzard hits, he goes back to the camps try to bring Merl and others to shelter in his own home. Can he win Merl’s trust and cooperation in an effort to provide positive long term help to other homeless people in the area? Even more important, can he forge a real partnership with the suspicious older man?"

"In 1910, Charles Smythe inherits a ranch from his late uncle. With some misgivings about leaving his life in England, he finally arrives in Arizona Territory only to meet one of his employees, an experienced hired hand named Sombra. In Sombra, Charles finds not only the perfect man to teach him all he needs to know about ranching, but also the masterful lover he has always craved. Can he build a real relationship this time, especially with a man so different? As a youth, Sombra fled his New England home in disgrace when his first homosexual affair become public knowledge. Upon arriving in Arizona, he found employment with Dabney Darwin, Charles's uncle, and the kindly English expatriate fashioned him into the son he never had. But when Dab's nephew arrives to assume ownership of the property, Sombra is not sure how to take young Charles. Yet he soon discovers that ""taking Charles"" is exactly what they both need ... and desperately desire."

"Former military pilot Blaine Darby carries a load of guilt and pain from the harm he may have caused in wartime. Now he seeks to earn some good karma by fighting wild land fires while holding on to his great love of flying. But reporters like young Daz Contreras scare him -- one of the few things that do -- because he shuns the public eye. Freelance investigative journalist Daz Contreras is convinced terrorists are behind at least some of the wild land fires plaguing New Mexico. All he needs is enough proof to break the story. As he pursues leads, he begins to shadow pilot Blaine Darby and, in the process, develops a gigantic case of hero worship. When Daz is allowed to ride with Blaine one time, he hopes the adventure will help him to uncover the proof he seeks. Yet when a near tragedy unexpectedly develops and Blaine puts his life on the line to save a trapped hotshot firefighting crew, Daz realizes he’s an eyewitness to what may be a bigger story than the one he planned. But will the reclusive Blaine actually allow Daz to report the news as he sees fit, even as they grow closer?"

"Mal has not had an easy life. He’s struggled to overcome a lot of roadblocks and hardships as he built himself a life as a mechanic, despite a serious handicap. He’s admired rancher Dan from afar but never dreamed events would play out to land him in the amazing spot of being able to do a real service for his secret hero. Can he maintain his cool and a safe distance when they’re sharing a house and working to resolve a dangerous mystery? Dan says he does not have employees but friends who help him run the ranch he inherited from his father. Challenged by his younger step-brother and facing dangerous sabotage to his truck, he enlists a young mechanic to help solve the puzzle. He’d always wanted a real brother or a partner he could trust but his step-brother is not the right guy to fill that role. How about Mal, who brings some fine but rare qualities to the Flying W?"

"Landscape architect Nick LeGrande has never experienced a more disastrous trip! When he ends up stranded in a Colorado blizzard, he’s glad to have the company of his little canine buddy, Cedric, whom circumstances forced him to bring along. Then a sexy Good Samaritan rescues them and Nick is introduced to a world he hardly knew existed. He is quickly enthralled. Caleb Storm is a loner, a rancher whose Native American blood sets him a bit apart from most of his fellows. When a spring blizzard dumps Nick LeGrande and his tiny dog into Caleb’s life, he and his old stock dog Cheyenne hardly know what to make of their visitors. Caleb finds Nick very attractive but doubts such a successful and urbane man could have any interest in him. However, their dogs hit it off from the start and seem to conspire to get their masters together. Can a pair of canine cupids work the necessary magic?"

"Solitary rancher Damon Carhart expects to spend the rest of his life alone. Then an injury to a beloved stock dog sends him to the nearest veterinary clinic for help. His crusty old veterinarian friend is away and in his place is a young doctor in whom Damon initially has no faith. Once he entrusts his canine friend to Eric Vann’s care, everything begins to change. And once desire gets a bite on him, what can he do but go along for the wild ride? Eric Vann has loved animals all his life, following in an uncle’s footsteps to become a veterinarian. He knows if he ever finds a soul mate it will be another male. When Damon comes in, fierce in defense of his favorite dog, Eric is immediately captivated. Can he overcome the other man’s instinctive resistance to the powerful attraction that begins almost at once?"

"Bard Welstaad is a model Uni-Fleet officer. He’s not sure what his unit is to accomplish, marching up an icy peninsula in the frozen hell of Gelada, but without his NCO, Gordon Farrell, he knows he could not keep the unit together fighting off Snow Wasps and the savage deadly cold. Not until tragedy strikes does he admit the big sergeant means much more to him than simply being his right hand man. Gordon Farrell idolizes his captain, who represents everything he reveres. The threat of imminent death finally forces him to admit the strength of his feelings as he fights to save Bard’s life. With death stalking at their heels, they can only hope to live long enough to share more than a single incredible night. Fate seems to conspire against them at every turn. Still they cling to the frail hope that somehow their love will find a way."

"Juan is on the run for his life when he stumbles across an abandoned Chihuahua pup. What better companion for his flight and then mascot for his initial foray into free enterprise in his new home? But dangerous enemies are determined to track him down. It takes a strong friend to help him survive. Troy grew up in poverty and has clawed his way to success. Until he builds a foolproof security, he hasn’t got time for relationships, or so he tells himself. Then an amazing little dog and her equally amazing master charge into his life and he’s captured in a net of lust, danger and obligations he never expected to find."

"With his life torn apart by tragedy, Garrett finds a true lifesaver in the Golden Retriever pup, Mandy, that he rescues from a local shelter. Inspired by the heroic search and rescue teams he sees on television, he and Mandy become a trained SAR team. Their first big challenge comes when a series of violent storms with vicious tornadoes rip through the high plains. Dan has come home from Iraq shattered by the horrors he witnessed. Like his father and grandfather before him, he takes off on an old motorcycle to try to find peace and outrun his nightmares. Instead he finds a storm that almost takes his life. Lucky for him, a special SAR team comes to his rescue. In Mandy and Garrett he just might find the unconditional love he needs to become whole again."

"Jax is a cop by choice and to honor his father who was killed in the line of duty. His allegiance to his fellow officers and his code of ethics are the ruling factors of his life. At a hideous crime scene, when he finds an unconscious young man holding a bloody machete, Jax confronts a quandary. He can hardly believe this beautiful youth could have committed this atrocity, but if not, who did?Gabriel awakens to blood and horror&#x2014;and to a total blank of who he is, what has happened, and how he got there. He finds himself charged with horrific multiple murders. Unless he can regain his memory, how can he prove he&#x2019;s not guilty?Protective custody soon assumes new aspects as Jax and Gabriel develop a strange friendship that wants to blossom into much more. Can someone be guilty by innocence?"

"Driz aspires to be a great mage but he’s done poorly the last few years of his schooling and cannot enter the mage university. Instead he seeks a mentor in the remnants of the once-great magical race of Melcovia, now mostly driven into hiding by the brutal government of dictator Congerson. Cory has hidden out in a remote estate in the foothills of the great mountains and sorely misses contact with others of his kind. When he hears a telepathic call from a youth seeking a mentor and master, it seems a dream come true. But will the young man find him? Can he buckle down enough to learn the discipline and control he needs? And can he ever become the true partner and soul-mate Cory has never found? When Congerson’s minions and a rogue mage strike the last empowered folk in Melcovia, Driz’s family is in dire peril. He must choose between staying to work with Cory or breaking his indenture to try to save his mother and siblings. Which will it be?"

"Orr Loveless is exactly where he knows he belongs, rescuing and training mules. Despite their reputation, which he feels is undeserved, he knows they are smart, sure footed, and great mounts for trail riding and outdoor adventures. The only thing he lacks is a human partner to share the work and the fun, but he knows his lifestyle is not likely to attract one. Jase Keller has returned to New Mexico, where his forgotten roots remain. With his high finance job destroying him, he desperately needs a big change for this vacation. Only Orr Loveless doesn’t seem to want to take him on a wilderness trip. When they go, it’s the opposite of the farm boy seeing the city for the first time. Jase discovers another life and it’s the one he wants to live ... with Orr by his side. Can Jase persuade a stubborn mule man like Orr that he doesn’t need to be “loveless” any longer?"

"For Clay, always a misfit and bullied at school, contact with the railroad and railroaders in the small town where he grew up was a lifeline. He has gone on to a career in the industry, though not out on the track. Now an odd compulsion draws him back to his long departed home despite the painful memories he has of the place. A chance meeting with Jon, a famous world-traveling scenic and wildlife photographer, results from Clay’s impulse, and the men end up sharing an afternoon’s tourist rail trip. Clay develops an instant crush on the beefy man, but what can a geeky clerical-type rail-buff offer a hunk like Jon, a self-professed and footloose lone wolf? Can Clay be satisfied with a brief, hot vacation fling? Or can mutual interest in trains and photography provide enough common ground to form something more between them?"

"Roane Wellman only intends to work one summer on railroad maintenance to pay for his next semester of college after his party-guy ways made his grandfather to stop supporting his schooling. In a summer of hard work, adventure, and danger, he matures and finds a new course for his life. Before the season ends, he knows he’s meant to be workin’ on the railroad as he fights to build a career and a partnership that just might last for the rest of his life. Alden Prescott is a loner, content to operate his big crane and shrug off the added responsibilities of being a gang foreman. His current foreman, however, is a drunkard and so close to worthless that Alden ends up doing a lot of the functions he has tried to avoid. Although Alden’s strongly drawn to the handsome new summer hire, memories of a past tragedy make him afraid to pursue the relationship. What will it take to convince Alden that Roane is not going to let him repeat past mistakes? Is their budding relationship heading for a train wreck, or is it the perfect connection to take them down life’s track together?"

"Mike Dufrane fled a traumatic youth, hard years haunted by an abusive biker father, poverty and degradation, by escaping into the military. There he found only more savage violence. Then a chance encounter with an animal rescue group showed him another way. On an Indian reservation in the southwest, he finds a place to make a difference. Rez Dogs Rescue Shelter will be his route to build a positive life. Then a handsome Native American rides up on a Harley and throws Mike’s plans for a loop. Adam was not there when his kid brother needed guidance and a firm hand. Back from two tours with Special Forces, he starts a youth center on the Rez to try to atone for his error but he cannot give up his Harley or his image as one bad ass biker. When an outsider starts a shelter for abused and neglected dogs, Adam initially finds it ludicrous but then recognizes a purpose similar to his own. However, the stranger seems to fear or hate bikers and is reluctant to begin a friendship. When crime and danger threaten both their projects, they have to join forces to prevail and suppressed attraction bursts into flame."

"When New York socialite Carole “C.J.” VanDemont loses the uncle with whom she went adventuring, life looks bleak and dull. Then an ad sends her to Arizona to visit La Riata guest ranch and experience wilderness adventures with guide and rancher Cameron Greenway. In Cam she finds everything she imagined and more. He puts a whole new twist on adventure for her until she becomes helplessly addicted to his brand of excitement. Must and can she return to the staid life awaiting her?"

"Seasoned Unifleet officer Jayce Hightower takes care of his troops. That includes supporting green soldier Balt Donovan through his first exposure to combat. What Jayce had not expected was that the striking young man would soon come to dominate his dreams, stirring unfamiliar and disturbing desires. When he learns Balt is similarly attracted to him, the situation starts to careen out of control putting both their careers in jeopardy. Jayce almost welcomes the hazardous assignment that sends him alone to a distant, dangerous world. But when his mission is betrayed, it’s Balt who comes to his rescue. Will Jayce finally be able to accept the love Balt offers him?"

"When life-long friends Hanson and Graber learn there may be a great wizard on the far side of the woods behind their village, they decide to seek him out. The source of the information may be suspect, but the lure proves too strong. In hopes of learning magic to rise above their current status as Hanson the Pigs and Graber the Firewood, they set out on this quest. When they meet wizard Holzy, they’re both intrigued and intimidated. He makes them labor and suffer, but eventually begins to teach them the practice he calls “the feat of the wand,” which turns out to impart much energy and knowledge as well as unsuspected pleasures to both men. A submerged attraction between them comes to the fore as Holzy awakens urges and desires they hardly even dreamed existed. But he keeps them entranced and bound to him. When Holzy makes a mistake, can Hanson and Graber apply their new powers to gain freedom from his spell and be acknowledged as his equals? Will they go home in triumph or be consigned to the salt mines?"

"Bobby Estrada is tired of school, rules, and boredom. He wants to have adventures. Eventually he arrives in southwestern New Mexico on foot, tired, and hungry. Orr and Jase, the mule men, give him a job mucking corrals. Six months later he has grown up, learned a lot, and bought a young mule to train. That’s when some exotic visitors show up. Doyle O’Brien, an Irish aristocrat, is dedicated to caring for his young niece for whom he became guardian after her parents were killed in a tragic accident. She was also injured. Young Fiona loves horses and rode well before she became partially paralyzed. When Doyle hears mules are safe and reliable if properly trained, he decides to try to find a small one Fiona can eventually ride. She immediately falls in love with Powwow, the young mule Bobby has begun to train. In Doyle, Bobby sees his dream prince come to life. In time the O’Briens must go home, taking Powwow. Bobby is determined to go, too. Can an Irish aristocrat and a young Latino cowboy find common ground beyond the lust that sizzles between them and make a modern fairy tale come true?"

"Widower Wade is desperate to find someone to help him care for his two motherless children while he runs his hardscrabble ranch. After seeing a “match” column in a pulp magazine, he sends off a letter, unsure of what he will get. When it turns up quiet, gentle Darnell, he is both shocked and intrigued. Can this unorthodox arrangement possibly work? Darnell is at the end of his rope when he finds an ad in a magazine that appears as if it were put there just for him. He takes a desperate chance and ends up on a remote ranch in New Mexico. The motherless children very loveable, and their father is scarily attractive. But in the stiff and conservative environment of 1949, how can he dare reach for intimacy with his new employer? Will he end up back in dire straits or settled in the home he deeply craves?"

"Beaten by the IT recession, Justin has come back to his hometown where he’s inherited a small house from his mother. Surely Barry, his old crush and sometime nemesis, is long gone. Jobs are scarce, so impulsively Justin seeks to buy into a pet grooming business. But when he has to visit the local bank for a loan, who sits behind the big desk but Barry? Justin’s appearance jolts Barry out of his miserable rut of a life. What if they were to pick up where a brief boyhood attraction abruptly ended? Then his mother’s sudden stroke throws his whole life into a tumbled ruin. Juggling business and pleasure can be a complex, risky endeavor. Will Justin resist Barry’s charms and flee again, or will fate give them a new leash on life?"

"When a cop and a newly released convict cross paths, few cons can expect anything positive. Struggling toward a home he knows no longer exists, Ike Hernandez meets a cop who seems different. He isn’t sure he can believe the kindness, but he wants to learn to trust again and regain his lost self-respect. Perry Parker became a law enforcement officer to help people. He learned there wasn’t much he could do, but now and then he found someone he could help. Would the lost man with the little dog that he picked up one stormy night be one of them? Pursuing tales about a new drug dealer, Perry starts to doubt the man he’s befriended, but something inside him still feels Ike is a decent person. When the real dealers take advantage of the convict’s past, Perry, his unofficial canine partner, and the little stray Ike adopted save the day. Can a cop, a con, and two dogs make an unorthodox family?"

"DeVore lost the love of his life ten years ago, left his seven-figure career with a huge financial firm, and became a recluse. He now indulges a hobby of photography which has become his new vocation. At one of the few social functions he attends, he meets an amazing young man. Can he find new life and new love? The game of hearts is always risky, but what if a part of your first love now lives in another body? Tim was a preemie and always frail. Later, an organ transplant was the only thing that could save him. Now grown, he still struggles to break restrictive family ties and find a purpose. It’s a thrill to meet the charismatic DeVore, an idol whose powerful photographs move many. But is this attraction his own, or coming from the stranger’s heart now beating in his chest?"

"Although veterinary technician Carlton is violently allergic to cats, he loves them with an undying passion, enough to tolerate miserable symptoms to keep working with the felines in the San Maribal Zoo. The cheetahs especially fascinate him. Then he meets a mysterious stranger who is evasive about why he’s in the zoo -- nude and after hours! This man tells Carl there’s a cat inside him wanting to get out. That sounds really crazy, and the suggested way to make it happen even crazier ... but exciting. Zyl is a member of the ancient shifter tribe, or Were-Kind. His people are working to enforce humane treatment of animals and save endangered species. Hearing of a planned raid by an extreme animal rights group to free the denizens of zoos, they realize this will a real catastrophe. Joining forces with regular humans to avert the problem will mean “coming out” as the powerful beings they are. Again, a potential disaster. Attracted to Carlton against his better judgment, Zyl teams up with the vet tech he meets under awkward circumstances only to discover a valuable ally and a soul mate."

"Loner Dylan, seeking to heal from wartime trauma, pursues a new-found dream of building and training a winning sled dog team to compete in the Iditarod. He makes a difficult choice to rescue a stranger lost in a blizzard instead of seeking to win a preliminary race. This choice and its results throw unexpected but major changes into his solitary life. Can he accept and adapt to these changes? Grey must prove himself, pursuing his dream of seeing Alaska first hand and writing about the world of sled dog racing in a powerful way to jump start his chosen sports and feature writing career. Young and na?ve, he almost pays with his life for a bad decision. Can he learn and grow fast enough to survive in the unforgiving environment and overcome a rocky start with his new hero, musher Dylan?"

"Tom Fleet was a bit of a misfit as the second son of a minor English noble in the 1880s. Once he finished his schooling he had little to do. His grandfathers had left him adequate finances for his needs and with his elder brother set to take the title, he gave in to his fascination with gadgets and began to tinker and invent. His goal was to create a sky craft to go to the moon. Surely if Jules Verne’s characters could go there and many other places, he could do as well. Rowan Farrell followed in his Uncle Gordon’s footsteps, joining the UniFleet, but went a step farther and became an officer. Assigned to his first command level post, he takes a small patrol ship out to scout a region of interest to the Council and report if any signs of the enemy Angevirian Empire in the area. When one of his crew spots a strange, tiny craft, he decides to capture and study it. After all it could be an Angevirian Trojan horse. But the odd cylindrical vessel holds only one man, unconscious and suffering from hypothermia and lack of oxygen. When the man comes to, he claims to come from the earth ... five centuries in the past!"

"When firefighter Grady Ashcroft adopts his deceased sister’s son, he knows life will change. He never expected to be a dad, but he’ll give young Jamie his best, even if it means a celibate life in a new home. He does not expect to find the man of his dreams in the Colorado village where he takes a new job, either. Sullivan Parker wanted to be chief of the Valle Vista fire department when the former chief was forced to leave. Instead, the town council hires a stranger from far away. Despite his resentment, Sully finds himself drawn to the newcomer. He also discovers a need to take Jamie and the spotted pup the former chief left behind under his wing. Can the brotherhood of battling dangerous blazes morph into stronger feelings for the two men, or will conflict prevail?"

"Garth Talent could never forget Peter Nightrider, his best bud from high school, or the one drunken night they shared exploring each other's bodies. He's spent fifteen years with that memory and has never found anyone to erase it. Now Garth is a high-priced attorney and Peter is a celebrity, heading an exciting Native-Pop music group. But Peter is in serious trouble and Garth is the only one who can help him. Garth is on edge when Peter arrives...will his friend remember that wonderful night? Will the spark still exist between them? Ethics say Garth can't have an affair with a client, however, even if it turns out Peter is willing. Will those old memories get in the way or will Garth and Peter find themselves making new ones? Garth plays by the rules, but to Peter, rules are meant to be broken. Who can win in this struggle of wills and wants?"

"Jeff Castle has changed lanes from the high-tech world to that of the classic muscle cars and their fans when he inherits his uncle's glorified junkyard. His new life is complicated when help is hard to find. An impulse leads him to pick up a hiker on a remote road, and the man turns out to be just the kind of muscle Jeff needs in every way. Released from prison after three hellish years, Mike needs help. All he can offer is his willingness to work and his background in repairing and racing stock cars. He gives this freely to Jeff and soon finds he wants to give more. Will his benefactor be willing to accept the love of an ex-con who still has a blot on his name? Mike is scared to ask, but nature takes matters out of his hands. Together, Jeff and Mike begin racing toward an amazing future."

"Monte’s sporting goods store is teetering on the edge of collapse due to the economic problems. The small conservative eastern California town he chose for his dream project is not welcoming, even though he keeps his gay lifestyle quiet. Then big trouble and a gorgeous package delivery driver fall into his world at the same time. Are they somehow connected? Jeff, a special agent for Homeland Security, is working undercover to help bust a contraband and drug operation. Tracks lead to the small town of Cameron Creek, California. Who is the crime ring’s contact at this end? As a delivery driver, Jeff is scoping things out. When he meets Monte, he is smitten at once, but evidence begins to link this new friend to the case. Jeff has every reason not to pursue a relationship, but can he stop himself?"