Forty-four years ago, a snow storm blew over Devil's Lake in the middle of August, and since then, strange things have been happening at the Misty Mountain Motel.<br><br>Now it looks like this is Syd's last assignment with <i>Revealed</i> newspaper. He's had it with covering fake demon possessions and potatoes that may or may not look like Jesus. After years of investigating the paranormal, he's seen the sordid side of humanity and wants out. To make matters worse, this last assignment is a collaboration with some YouTube guy, and everyone knows Syd doesn't work well with others.<br><br>YouTuber Rudi Laurier has read every story ever written by <i>the</i> Syd Fost and is looking forward to this three day gig in the Laurentians. Location: The soon to be demolished and supposedly haunted Misty Mountain Motel. This is his chance to work with a real investigator. A sexy one, at that.<br><br>A new storm has been gathering over the Misty. There’s no way out of the blizzard. Soon both men are trapped together in the empty motel. Trapped in with ... something.<br><br>Or is it their own secret fears playing with their minds?

One thing Derek has always searched for is perfection. And in Nick's love, he thought he'd found it. But marriage is rarely perfect and Nick Lund isn't a myth, but a human being, faulted as anyone.<br><br>With their relationship on the rocks, Derek faces loneliness and doubt, estranged from the man he's adored for most of his life. When he learns that he has a cousin living in the city, a young man named Myles he never knew existed, Derek seeks him out. The two men begin a beautiful friendship that provides Derek with some solace and perspective.<br><br>But in spite of the affection he feels for Myles, Derek's heart belongs to Nick, who's willing to do anything to get them back on track. Nick is ready to forsake his restaurant Split, the city life he adores and all of his ambitions to win Derek's trust again.<br><br>Derek is convinced that a quiet existence in the burbs is the solution to all of their problems. Or will it be the biggest mistake of their lives?

It's been eleven years since Nick ran off with David for the West Coast. And though his life resembles a blue dream, after more than a decade of bar tending in resorts and cruise ships, Nick is finally thinking of heading home. First, he needs to go see about David in Vancouver ...<br><br>When he arrives, Nick finds a community of young men devastated by AIDS. Part of him wants to flee back to Montreal, but David is dying and Nick knows his place is by his best friend's side. In those four days and nights in David's apartment by the English Bay, Nick learns more about himself than he ever did before. When it's all over, he packs his bag and locks up his grief, determine to honor the promise he made to David of opening up his own restaurant.<br><br>Five years later, Nick is gaining a reputation in the industry as a chef, but has yet to have any meaningful relationships. Until Derek O'Reilly, that redheaded kid with the avocado-green eyes he used to know, walks into his dining room and ignites Nick's passion once more.

The Great North, Quebec, 1934. Joe Vega, the Beast, has been locked up in Linhart Prison for three years. The brutish guards harass him because of his size, but Joe remains cool.<br><br>Until Christophe Dubois, the disowned son of an affluent politician, is led into Joe's cell. From the moment Joe sees him, he suspects the ginger-head is trouble. Christophe is bold, curious, and feisty, and Joe can't resist the temptation of climbing into the man's bunk for long. However, the beautiful spoiled Christophe is a furnace to which both guards and convicts want to warm their hands, and Joe must fight to keep Christophe safe.<br><br>Linhart Prison may be a cruel place, but when the two men are released from its walls, they find an even tougher world out there.<br><br>Is the flame burning between Joe and Chris enough to keep them together?

Though his mother named him after a priest, there's nothing saintly about McGauran O'Dowd. He needs to escape the slums before he's forced into marrying his friend’s sister and revealing the sin he's managed to hide so far.<br><br>When McGauran gets hired as a logger by ruthless business man Gédéon Latendresse, people warn him -- the Latendresse family is cursed. Twenty years ago, Gédéon rode the witchin' canoe from the camps to the city to stop his brother's wedding. But that night, Gédéon broke one of the <i>Chasse Galerie</i> rules, and now the Devil's come for his due.<br><br>And that due, McGauran soon finds out, is Gédéon's sheltered young nephew Honoré, the most enchanting man McGauran’s ever met. The lover he's been praying for.<br><br>Cursed, Honoré is slipping into madness and threatened to be interned. When the winter comes, McGauran is stuck at the shanties, helpless to save Honoré from his tragic fate. He’ll do anything to save the man he loves, even bargain with the Devil himself.

Being the country's Attorney General's only son comes with a lot of scrutiny, but Henley has managed to avoid attention by keeping a low profile. His life is safe, organized, and lonely. Until inland terrorists turn his world upside down and he discovers he's much tougher than he thought he was.<br><br>When the terrifying ordeal is over, Henley is left with hand tremors and a need to make some changes in his life. He seeks out the one man he hopes can give him some answers.<br><br>After more than a decade on the police force, all Mason has to show for the risks he took is a bunch of scars, a bad knee, a cabin in the woods, and two giant black dogs he loves more than humans. Then the Attorney General's posh son shows up to thank him, and suddenly Mason's battered heart starts hoping again.<br><br>Can Henley's love turn Mason's luck around and chase the shadows away?

There is only one thing that has always kept lonely Derek O'Reilly dreaming of better days: His neighbor, blue-eyed bad boy Nicolai Lund. Nick is everything Derek needs and fears ... As years go by and life unfolds, Derek and Nick will collide and divide many times, but nothing can tear them apart. The <i>Red and Blue Chronicles</i> box set contains five novels that combine to tell the story of their enduring love.<br><br>Contains the stories:<br><br><strong>Split</strong>: Weeks before Derek O'Reilly's engagement party to Nathan, a chance meeting with his first love, bad boy Nick Lund, catapults Derek into the past. But Nick isn't that young rebel anymore. He's a man hardened by invisible scars, struggling with grief. As Derek reads through his childhood diary, he realizes what Nick was to him, still is today, and yet might be ...<br><br><strong>Blue Awakenings</strong>: After a decade of bar tending in resorts, Nick checks on his best friend David in Vancouver, only to learn David i...onvinced that a quiet existence in the burbs is the solution to all of their problems. Or will it be the biggest mistake of their lives?<br><br><strong>A Purple Winter</strong>: A near-fatal motorcycle brings Derek O'Reilly's life to a grinding halt and as he sinks into a coma, his mind travels back to that long ago winter when he first met his husband Nicolai Lund, the bad boy next door with the arctic blue eyes ... But Derek must choose between remaining lost in his imagination or coming back to Nick, to love him in the here and now where forever truly exists.<br><br><strong>Persimmon Kiss</strong>: A year has passed since Derek's accident, and he still battles with brain injury symptoms. When Nick is called abroad on business, their friend Myles agrees to step in and help. The two men want what's best for Derek, but soon, they discover that they're not rivals, and what's there between them is echoed in Derek's heart. Can they let go of their fear and allow this new love to unfold?

In the advertising business, Harris Desmond is notorious for his bad boy attitude, but behind that arrogant front hides a sensitive soul. Weeks away from launching his first perfume for men, Erebus, Harris dreams of success and finally emerging from his painful past.<br><br>Weeks before the launch party, Harris's friend suggests he contact an escort agency to hire a date for his big night. Of course, Harris has his reservations about the idea, but the last years of casual encounters and failed relationships have left him feeling lonely. He secretly longs for someone special who'd understand him and all of his faults.<br><br>When the agency sends him his date, Pallas, Harris gets a lot more than he paid for. Sweet and vulnerable, Pallas cuts through Harris's heart like a clean blade. But Pallas is chasing a dream, running on empty and caught in a downward spiral. He wants to give Harris his heart, yet after years of seeing the ugly side of people, he fears there's nothing left of it to give.<br><br>But Harris knows the secret of scents, and he and Pallas are the perfect accord.

During Pride week, Wolfe learns the board is threatening to shut down the YBR community center. He won't let that happen, not while he's the director and responsible for everyone there. They tell him he's just a kid, but Wolfe needs to prove to everyone, especially the rich family he left behind, that he's strong enough to do the job, even after the assault he suffered back home. Smitten by the young man with the beautiful gray eyes standing at a booth on Pride Community Day, Gaspard decides to take a risk for the first time in his life. Freshly divorced and father to two grown children, Gaspard is feeling a little lost in the dating world. Until Wolfe smiles at him. Though twenty-four years separate them, Wolfe and Gaspard fall for each other in a way neither is prepared for. As relationships unravel around them and the pressure increases, Gaspard resists his passion for a man young enough to be his son. But how long can he keep his heart caged in?

A year has passed since Derek's motorcycle accident, but he still battles with brain injury symptoms. Forced to take a sick leave from work, Derek picks up painting to occupy his time. Through his art, he begins to rediscover his imagination and turns to his journal again. Meanwhile, a new business venture is on the horizon for Nick and he can't postpone his trip to Norway any longer. Concerned for Derek's safety, Nick convinces Derek that he needs someone to watch over him while he's away. Myles has just returned from Japan, where he spent time mending his heart after another disappointment. He's longing for a break, so when Nick and Derek reach out to him, he can't refuse. Each man wants what's best for Derek, but soon, Nick and Myles discover that they're not rivals, because what's there between them is echoed in Derek's heart. Can all three men let go of their fear and allow this new love to unfold?

Two years ago, Chris and his boyfriend left the city to settle in a small town at the US-Canada border. Eager to start a new life, Chris bought the Frontier Café, but a year later, his boyfriend dumped him, leaving Chris the only openly gay man in town. Nowadays he's resigned to a life of romantic solitude. Hank spent the last years traveling through the country for his job as a water plant engineer. Deeply closeted, he's careful about the men he meets. Like the rivers he studies, he runs fast through the land. In town only for a few weeks, Hank is intent on getting the job done and returning home out west to take care of his father. But Chris’s warm manner and decadent desserts are no match for Hank’s defense mechanisms. For the first time in his life, he finds himself wanting to go with the flow.

"Easily pleased, Micah enjoys a career in non-profit work and gets through his days one lame joke at a time. Then his friend Lou introduces him to her musical family and the Knights pull Micah into their world of resilience and sorrow. Soon, Micah understands that in the face of grief, optimism isn't always enough. Lei was once revered for his tremendous talent. But one day the music died, and the scars under his leather bracelets are a reminder of what he lost. These days, he's nothing but a phantom. Shut away from the world, Lei tunes instruments in the Knights' music store. Then charismatic Micah enters his life, charming his family and slowly coaxing his way into Lei's heart with steadfast devotion. With Micah at his side, it may yet be possible for Lei to reclaim the spotlight he'd thought permanently abandoned."

"Fourteen years ago, on the banks of Craving’s Creek, Ryde swore to his best friend Alistair he’d never be alone in the world. Though Alistair was destined for the priesthood, there was something beyond holy about the first kiss they shared. But a fun camping trip went horribly wrong when Alistair was involved in a horrific incident. Now, at age thirty-one, Ryde’s life is a mess of alcohol and the painful imprint of his last look into Alistair’s desperate eyes. Since the evil they encountered on that shore, his first love has been lost to him ... until he learns a friend’s wedding is to be officiated by a priest named Father Alistair Genet. Amid the rush of emotions, one thought crystallizes: Ryde’s love for Alistair has never died. It’s stronger than ever. But can it win over the repressed memories slowly tearing Alistair’s mind apart?"

"Easy-going Sebastien divides his time between working as a cleaning technician, caring for his widowed father, and running off to the park for soccer practice. Coasting through his existence, he's convinced he doesn't have much going for him. That isn’t what his best friend Jack thinks. Quick-witted and passionate, Jack is fascinated by art and history, but the greatest book or painting could never compare to how he feels when he's alone with Sebastien. In the last five years, Seb and Jack have shared everything, sometimes even a bed. Yet though their chemistry is smoking hot, Sebastien keeps Jack at a safe distance. But when the two move in together to lower their living expenses, that distance gets smaller and smaller, until Sebastien and Jack are standing so close, they can't see what's right in front of their eyes ... the love of their life."

"Billy spends his evenings dreaming of love and excitement. His roommate Francis wonders why Billy would waste his time fantasizing about a straight mechanic he works with who won't even look his way. But Xavier isn't straight, he's bisexual. And he's been stealing looks at Billy without getting caught. Billy's blue eyes make him feel proud, something he hasn't felt ever since his father left him to fend for himself. Part Mohawk, Xavier deals with racism both at work and at home, and is planning to hit the road and never return. From their first kiss, the attraction between Billy and Xavier is undeniable, setting off a chain of events. Soon they're running off together, determine to start a new life in Mexico. But the open road, like their crazy love, is new, exciting, and at times ... dangerous."

"Tristan used to be top salesman at his firm, but when his friends suffered a tragedy, he stepped in to support them. Their ordeal over, Tristan turned to partying to ease his new solitude. Now his job is at risk and he stands to lose his home. Rain spent years putting up with his husband Milo's bad behavior before moving out. Single again and insecure, Rain dreams of creating a marionette show to celebrate kids on the autism spectrum in honor of his son. When Rain meets his neighbor Tristan, he's drawn to Tristan's sex-appeal and protective nature. But Milo keeps pulling on Rain's strings and messing with his head. Tristan loves everything about Rain, including the strange sandwiches, mismatched socks, crazy marionettes, glitter makeup, and messy apartment. And Rain wants to give Tristan everything, but can he cut lose from Milo's hold?"

"Though his mother named him after a priest, there's nothing saintly about McGauran O'Dowd. He needs to escape the slums before he's forced into marrying his friend’s sister and revealing the sin he's managed to hide so far. When McGauran gets hired as a logger by ruthless business man Gédéon Latendresse, people warn him -- the Latendresse family is cursed. Twenty years ago, Gédéon rode the witchin' canoe from the camps to the city to stop his brother's wedding. But that night, Gédéon broke one of the?Chasse Galerie?rules, and now the Devil's come for his due. And that?due, McGauran soon finds out, is Gédéon's sheltered young nephew Honoré, the most enchanting man McGauran’s ever met. The lover he's been praying for. Cursed, Honoré is slipping into madness and threatened to be interned. When the winter comes, McGauran is stuck at the shanties, helpless to save Honoré from his tragic fate. He’ll do anything to save the man he loves, even bargain with the Devil himself."

"Derek O'Reilly was never good at reality. After twenty years of adulthood, he's disenchanted with his life but his husband, Chef Nick Lund, is still chasing success. Then a near-fatal motorcycle accident brings everything to a halt and opens a door to a time Derek thought he'd never experience again. As Derek sinks into a coma, his mind returns to the winter he first fell for Nick, the bad boy with arctic blue eyes. But in this coma-fantasy, Derek isn't a helpless child anymore. No -- this time, he's older and making Nick Lund stutter and swoon for a change. While Derek slips away, Nick sits by him in the hospital, devastated. To pull his lover back from the land of dreams, he must say what he's never said before. Derek has a choice -- remain lost in his imagined world, or return to Nick in the here and now where forever truly exists."

"To others, Liam Stokes is a confirmed bachelor, content with his job as a foreman and satisfied with his quiet life. Liam's friends and family don't suspect that under his calm surface a storm is gathering. Liam has had it with living a lie, but can't summon the courage to come out as gay until faith takes charge of that. One morning, his back gives out and Liam is forced into getting a massage. Inked and pierced, Kieran is a young massage therapist with a healing touch and audacious smile. From the moment he sets his hands on Liam, Liam knows this will be unstoppable. But as their relationship evolves, both men are surprised at how much they have in common despite their age difference. Could this be more than a physical connection? And if so, how far can they take this love before someone else tries to end it?"

"Allan has always tried to do the sensible thing. So when his sister Elsie became pregnant eight years ago and was ditched by her boyfriend, he stepped up to the plate. Since then, he's been his sister's support system and father figure to his niece. Allan's world is turned upside down when Elsie becomes engaged and he meets her fiancé's older brother, Davinder -- a beautiful, brooding artist with a thousand secrets in his eyes. But Davinder is a married man and father of two young boys. From the moment they meet, Allan and Davinder walk along the edge of their secret lives, never allowed to push open the gates. Though their love is a head-on collision, a meeting of the minds, a fusing of two lost souls, both men know that it is also -- and above all -- impossible."

"The Great North, Quebec, 1934. Joe Vega, the Beast, has been locked up in Linhart Prison for three years. The brutish guards harass him because of his size, but Joe remains cool. Until Christophe Dubois, the disowned son of an affluent politician, is led into Joe's cell. From the moment Joe sees him, he suspects the ginger-head is trouble. Christophe is bold, curious, and feisty, and Joe can't resist the temptation of climbing into the man's bunk for long. However, the beautiful spoiled Christophe is a furnace to which both guards and convicts want to warm their hands, and Joe must fight to keep Christophe safe. Linhart Prison may be a cruel place, but when the two men are released from its walls, they find an even tougher world out there. Is the flame burning between Joe and Chris enough to keep them together?"

"Though Jimmy’s ill and isn’t getting any better, he hopes to have a bit of fun during Pride weekend. When he meets Nolan, a young dancer in the parade, Jimmy takes a chance on making himself vulnerable for the first time in years. What Jimmy doesn’t expect is how strong Nolan will make him feel with a simple gesture of support. Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud."

"Quiet and imaginative, Derek O'Reilly spends a lot of time watching a movie in his head. His fiancé Nathan wonders why Derek hasn't taken any interest in their wedding planning, and Aunt Fran -- his spiritual guru -- would like to know when her guilt-tripping nephew became a kept boy. When she drops Derek's childhood journal on his lap, he's forced to remember the name he's been trying to forget since he was twelve years old. Nicolai Lund. Nick was Derek's neighbor ... and first love. Weeks before Derek's engagement party, a chance meeting with Nick catapults Derek into the past. But Nick isn't that seventeen-year-old rebel anymore. He's a man hardened by invisible scars. A man struggling with grief. As Derek reads through his childhood diary, he realizes what Nick was to him, still is today, and yet might be ... NOTE: This edition has been expanded and substantially edited."