Get ready for an anti-Valentine to remember in this limited release M/M romance anthology. Sixteen authors have come together to bring you a collection of brand-new short stories with a combination of dark, enemies to lovers, and bully themes.
Authors: Nicholas Bella, E.B. Burns, Abrianna Denae, Elouise R East, Taylor J Gray, Mandy Greenwood, Rorie Kage, Leigh Kenzie, Davidson King, Claire Marta, Faith Ryan
Cover Artist: Teased by Antonette
Release Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Dark M/M
Tropes: Various
Themes: Dark content featuring holidays. Includes topics from mafia to erotic BDSM and more. Content warning for some pieces include non-con, dub-con, torture, murder, and potentially other dark elements.
Heat Rating: This will vary. Some will be 5 flames.
Length: approx. 165 000 words
As it’s an anthology, some stories may end in a cliffhanger
Sometimes the happiest season of all is hiding the darkest secrets.
Twinkling lights and festive songs are in every shopping center and on every street corner. But what lurks in the dark alleys beyond the main street decorations? Who hides behind the joyful enthusiasts with a dangerous bah humbug attitude?
Join eleven dark MM authors as they explore the darker half of the holidays while also spreading cheer and support to LGBTQ youth.
*O Deadly Night is a Dark MM anthology with all proceeds to be donated to The Trevor Project.
All proceeds donated to The Trevor Project - you can find out about the wonderful things they do here.
RJ Scott - Single Dad Christmas - It would be a Christmas miracle if he loved me back. Annabeth Albert - Must Be Santa - Tis the season for Operation Christmas Papa! Joanna Chambers - The First Snow of Winter - Christmas Eve, 1814: a maimed war hero and the childhood friend he almost kissed five years earlier are trapped together by the first snow of winter Eli Easton - Twelve Days of UPS - What happens when your Secret Santa is less intriguing than the delivery man who brings the gifts? Suki Fleet - Sometimes, Always - When Echo’s Christmas Eve surprise for Peri goes a little sideways, it turns into a night they’ll both remember for the best reasons, for always. Lane Hayes - Out For The Holidays - Good Things Happen When You’re Out for the Holidays! Annabelle Jacobs - Driving Home For Christmas - A road trip, snowstorm, and only one big bed at the Inn… Alex Jane - Homestead for the Holidays - Alone in a cabin in snowy Nebraska for Christmas Amber Kell - A Santa for Trin - Everyone needs a bit of Christmas magic. Garrett Leigh - No Place Like Home - As long as they’re together, love always wins V.L. Locey - Dressed In Holiday Style - Can the spirit of Christmas save this budding love affair? Clare London - Five Gold Blings - Where Christmas sparkle leads two lonely hearts Posy Roberts - Sojourn For Christmas - This year, a place to stay is the best Christmas gift Sawyer could ask for. Felice Stevens - The Gift of Forever - What do you get the man who has everything? AE Via - An Unworthy Gift - What do the lonely do at Christmas?
Blog Tour & Excerpt: Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Volume 4
A Paranormal Collection Supporting LGBT Charity
This collection will be available for only 90 days before it’s gone forever.
Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered... Why should Heart2Heart - the phenomenally successful dating app - only work its magic in the human world when lonely lycans, dejected dragons, and jilted jackalopes need love, too?
In this new paranormal universe, mages and shifters, vampires, psychics, and even humans, will reach out to Heart2Heart podcast host Gene E. Del’Amp for help finding a magical match… and they just might find that talking about their woes helps their wishes come true.
Eighteen of your favorite gay romance authors have come together to bring you brand-new paranormal and urban fantasy stories inspired by reader suggestions!
Once again, all proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its forms will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!
H2H is a passion project that began as nothing more than a “what if” said among friends. Since then, across three volumes and with the involvement of twenty-six incredible authors of gay romance, the Heart2Heart anthologies have raised over $80k for LGBTQ charities around the world.
Because Heart2Heart is a charity project, all of the work involved in creating and promoting each volume is donated. From the author's creative work, to the editing and formatting, to cover design and promotion, all donation efforts by the Heart2Heart team contribute to the project's ability to donate as much as possible to the chosen charities for each volume.
Heart2Heart is a unique anthology project in the way each story is brand new content that’s inspired by reader suggestions and fits within an overall theme. H2H volume 4 is no exception. In December 2019 we received more than 350 suggestions from readers that our authors then used to inspire their characters and the wishes that would come true thanks to the Heart2Heart podcast.
To shake things up with this new collection, the decision was made to bring together some of the best and brightest authors of paranormal and urban fantasy gay romance for an alternate reality experience. Working within the classic elements of shifters, vampires, mages, and more, we’re excited to present sixteen brand new stories with all of the humor, feels, and spice you would expect from Heart2Heart.
This collection will be available for only 90 days before it’s gone forever.
Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered... Why should Heart2Heart - the phenomenally successful dating app - only work its magic in the human world when lonely lycans, dejected dragons, and jilted jackalopes need love, too?
In this new paranormal universe, mages and shifters, vampires, psychics, and even humans, will reach out to Heart2Heart podcast host Gene E. Del’Amp for help finding a magical match… and they just might find that talking about their woes helps their wishes come true.
Eighteen of your favorite gay romance authors have come together to bring you brand-new paranormal and urban fantasy stories inspired by reader suggestions!
Once again, all proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its forms will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!
H2H is a passion project that began as nothing more than a “what if” said among friends. Since then, across three volumes and with the involvement of twenty-six incredible authors of gay romance, the Heart2Heart anthologies have raised over $80k for LGBTQ charities around the world.
Because Heart2Heart is a charity project, all of the work involved in creating and promoting each volume is donated. From the author's creative work, to the editing and formatting, to cover design and promotion, all donation efforts by the Heart2Heart team contribute to the project's ability to donate as much as possible to the chosen charities for each volume.
Heart2Heart is a unique anthology project in the way each story is brand new content that’s inspired by reader suggestions and fits within an overall theme. H2H volume 4 is no exception. In December 2019 we received more than 350 suggestions from readers that our authors then used to inspire their characters and the wishes that would come true thanks to the Heart2Heart podcast.
To shake things up with this new collection, the decision was made to bring together some of the best and brightest authors of paranormal and urban fantasy gay romance for an alternate reality experience. Working within the classic elements of shifters, vampires, mages, and more, we’re excited to present sixteen brand new stories with all of the humor, feels, and spice you would expect from Heart2Heart.
A Special Excerpt from the opening and closing Heart2Heart Story by Jeff Adams & Will Knauss:
Story title: A Caller from Grand Rapids A brief description of your story: Former hockey player Noah McCarthy has a good life in Grand Rapids as a newspaper reporter. His alter ego, Gene E. Del’Amp is the host of the popular podcast Wish of Your Heart. Noah enjoys helping humans, lycans, vampires, witches and anyone else with a good wish. What happens if the genie is suddenly the subject of a wish?
Excerpt
Noah “Okay, ready to head into the last segment?” I asked my producer slash assistant Marc. Recording the podcast was my favorite part of the week because I got to unleash a side of me I kept tucked away the rest of the time. Wish of Your Heart had developed a good, and still growing, following since it premiered just over a year ago. The show filled a niche for humans and those with some kind of extra talent to talk out their fears and hopes about making a connection. Offering your heart to someone was never easy, even between two humans. But it could be more daunting if you were matching between different shifter species or a vampire with a human or… any other combination. Wrapping up romantic desires into a wish seemed to work for those who called in.
Listeners really loved—or really hated, there was no middle ground—the host I created with Gene E. Del’Amp. The name was ridiculous as was the unidentifiable European-esque accent I used for him. All of that was deliberate because I didn’t want anyone to figure out that Gene and I, former pro hockey player Noah McCarthy, were the same person. That would cause far more trouble than it’s worth. Only Marc knew my secret identity.
“Let’s do it,” I said, still sounding like myself. I only pulled Gene out when we were actually recording.
“And we’re back recording in three, two, one.” Marc hit a button on his computer and the voicemail played in my headphones.
“Hi. This is Thomas. So, um, here’s the thing, Gene, I’ve fallen for the guy I work with. I know it’s a mistake. You’re not supposed to be into the boss. And I really love my job, so I don’t want to f*ck it up. What people don’t know is the boss is super sweet. He’s got a facade that’s snarky, but it’s all show. We work closely, and it’s a great relationship. I know he’s gay. Hell, we’ve even shared stories about guys we’ve dated.
“I’ve known him for over a year now, and I think we’d be good together. Every now and then, I’ll see a glint in his eye, like when I bring him his favorite latte or we talk about something we both like. It’s true, we even have a couple of shared hobbies. I wish I had the balls to ask him. What do you think, Gene? Can you grant me this so I take the leap? I’m willing to risk the job. I know you hate workplace relationships because of all the extra variables, but I listen all the time and sometimes wishes on the job come true.”
“Wow, Marc, you didn’t hold back for the last call, did you?” I spoke into the mic as Gene. Across the desk, Marc’s eyes danced with mischief along with a little something I couldn’t identify. He knew how to pick good voicemails. This one had potential workplace drama, a boss that might be too much of a friend, and the amount of pining in the voice that listeners would eat up. “You should see the look he’s giving me right now, waiting to see what I’m going to say.”
“Look? What look?” Marc added a smirk, one that even reflected in the tone of his voice. “I just want you to answer so we can wrap this thing up.”
What are your thoughts on being part of Heart2Heart volume 4? After reading the stories in the previous three volumes, it was great to be asked to this particular cool kids’ table. Of course, since we have a podcast, it was a lot of fun writing the podcaster’s story.
“Camp fYrefly is a summer camp and leadership retreat designed for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, intersexed, queer, and questioning youth, (LGBTQ2S+) and planned in part by a committee of the same youth it seeks to serve. Founded in 2004 by Dr. André P. Grace and Dr. Kristopher Wells, Camp fYrefly is designed to help youth develop the leadership skills and personal resiliency necessary for them to become agents for positive change in their schools, families, and communities.”
🌈 - Project 10 (youth services and advocacy, Quebec)
“Project 10 works to promote the personal, social, sexual and mental well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, intersexed and questioning youth and adults 14-25.
Through advocacy and education, using a harm reduction approach, Project 10 aims to facilitate the empowerment of youth at individual, community, and institutional levels with a particular emphasis on supporting individuals and groups who experience multiple and intersecting oppressions.
Services are free of charge, confidential and anonymous, and are offered in English and French.”
“A non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. We provide a safer space for LGBTQ/2S people and their allies to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included. Our building serves as a catalyst for community initiatives and collective strength.”
These are all great Charities and we need to take care of our youth and the next generation. Love is Love. Be safe and kind. No one should have to suffer for who they are or who they love!!
Eighteen authors have come together to bring you diverse stories about love and friendship, raising money for awareness, and suicide prevention within our LGBTQ+ youth and adult communities. Unconditional will only be available through The Bookworm Box for a limited time!
This exclusive anthology will be available from September 1, 2019 through September 15, 2019. Boxes will be shipped September 30, 2019. Each box includes an autographed copy of the paperback, a code for an eBook download, a handmade swag item, and lots of other swag goodies too. Proceeds will benefit The Trevor Project, an organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youths. More information about The Trevor Project can be found on their website.
True love always deserves a happy ending, whatever the season. A charity anthology with all proceeds split between The Matthew Shepard Foundation and The Albert Kennedy Trust.
With characters who find love in a New York park, or on a college campus, in the middle of a snow storm or in the heat of summer, ‘Love for all Seasons’ delivers romance for everyone.
Including stories from five established authors and supporting the work of three authors, new to the world of writing MM romance.
Brioche For Two - V.L Locey
Seasons of Bryant - Spring
Four Seasons. Two Men. One Love.
For struggling film student Isamu Taylor, life's refrain is about to change from boring documentary about a passionless delivery boy to a blazing and wildly erotic love story.
After spending weeks admiring handsome but older Manhattan executive Brian Gilles while delivering brioche to him in Bryant Park, the man of his lusty dreams has just expressed a desire to get to know Isamu better. A night on the town is just the beginning of a whirlwind romance that will span not only four seasons but countless years.
Amid the beauty and charm of Bryant Park, New York City, two men are about to discover that love knows no age or economic boundaries. This is the first of four short stories in what will be the ‘Tales of Bryant’ collection starring these two amazing men, their one sublime love, and the Park where it all started.
Sweeter than Honey - C.M. Valencourt
Wyatt is a beekeeper, excited for the beginning of his town’s annual farmers market, where he expects to sell his wares and get some hot guys’ phone numbers. But these plans start to unravel when sets up shop next to a sexy vegan baker named Grayson.
Grayson believes that keeping bees is akin to owning a slaughterhouse, and he’ll do anything to run Wyatt out of business. Can Wyatt win him over with his sweet honey and even sweeter smile?
Special Nights - DJ Jamison
Sam's insomnia drives him out of his apartment in the wee hours of the night. He ends up at a diner, where he meets an intriguing waiter named Hunter. As the seasons go by, Sam and Hunter court over BLTs and OJ, slowly falling in love.
Winters Chill - Cathy Brockman
The ice storm of a century hits Missouri.
Winter savvy Lane Jennings is the only one prepared, thanks to a decade in North Dakota. Too shy to approach his drool-worthy neighbor, he’s left fantasizing about him at night. That is until the storm, when a branch breaks free, trapping him beneath. Now it’s up to Lane to save him from his icy peril and care for him throughout the storm.
It was a near death experience for stunned Jeffrey Nichols. Never had he seen anything as beautifully terrifying as the weather and his neighbor. One threatened his life and the other his secret. He wasn’t sure which was more dangerous, but when Lane gives him a warm shelter through the storm, he quickly realizes he will find out.
Can an ice storm thaw two frozen hearts?
Beach Boys - Annabelle Jacobs
Sea, sand, and hopefully sun, are all Russ expects to find on his week away in Cornwall.
Surfing with his two best mates is all Blake has planned for his short break. With the long drive to get to Penzance, there’s no time for anything else.
With help from Bailey the dog, Russ and Blake discover they might have more in common than they first thought.
Who Do You Love, My Valentine - EJ Smyth
Immortal Nox is subcontracted to love god Eros during the Valentine rush. After he gets distracted by his long-time human crush Matt, his arrows go astray. The second missile finds a pretty young woman who instantly falls in love with Matt. Which would be great, except that Matt is gay. Nox must prevent the unsuitable match before the Gods find out. Yet doing his job may very well break his heart…
Read this steamy, romantic short story by EJ Smyth to get you into the mood for the perfect Valentine’s night.
Favorite Flowers - Chris McHart
Gabe runs a flower shop. He always makes bouquets for everyone, but nobody has ever brought him flowers. His love-life is non-existent. Until Jason walks in and sparks fly.
Jason in the middle of a nasty divorce and the last thing he needs is getting into another relationship. But he can't resist the shop-owner.
But even if Jason comes back for flower every week, one of them has to make the first step. And even if one does, can favorite flowers lead to anything?
The Last Chance - RJ Scott
It’s the last year of college and Luke can’t forget the captain of the hockey team, or the kiss they shared as freshman.
Justin has to decide if hockey outweighs his attraction to Luke, because this might be the last chance he’ll have of making things right.
Authors
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.
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About new author, C.M. Valencourt
C.M. Valencourt is a new m/m and queer romance author. Their first book From the Ashes, an ex-friends-to-lovers road trip novel featuring slam poetry, pink hair dye, and a chase scene through a theme park, will be released in the first half of 2018. They like figure skating, ghost hunting shows, and Carly Rae Jepsen. You can get updates about From the Ashes and more of their forthcoming work by following @cmvalencourt on Twitter.
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DJ Jamison is the author of more than a dozen m/m romances, including the Ashe Sentinel series and the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight.
DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love.
DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors' books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish and, regrettably, one snake.
Cathy loves her grandkids, cats, cooking and working to make her patio an outdoor haven.
When she's not writing stories with sexy cowboys, strong women, and the small towns they live in she's probably working on expanding her doll collection, crafting, reading, or listening to audio books.
For updates on stories, snippets, contests, games, polls and more fun join my reader group - Cat’s Romance A-Holics
If you like recipes, stories about food or flops, writing, teasers and more you can find that on my Website/Blog Cathy Writes Romance.
Thanks for reading and watch for more Lane and Jeffrey.
You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon and Google plus
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Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.
Hi there! My name is EJ Smyth, I live in Frankfurt, Germany and I’m passionate about romance with other elements mixed in. Paranormal romance, romantic thrillers, gay romance, if it’s got two difficult characters finding each other, I’m on board!
I’m currently working on a series of short stories Keith is Awesome about a young man exploring his sexuality. Not something I’ve ever written before but the research alone was quite a bit of fun. I love to talk to my readers, online and offline, so please feel free to drop me a line!
I’m a writer of M/M romance and M/M erotic romance from Germany.
I’ve always had stories in my head, but a while ago I allowed them to get out and on paper. Looks like it has been a good decision, although the more stories I write, the more I have in my head. Maybe I’ll have all of them out someday, and there’ll be nothing more to write, but for the next years, I don’t see that coming.
When I’m not writing, I spend time with my family (I have the best husband EVER) and try to keep all my animals happy. I also enjoy gardening and cooking, although I’m still looking for someone to clean up afterwards. And, of course, I love reading, whenever I have a quiet moment.
Writing and reading is my break from everyday stress and I hope you join me!
RJ Scott's goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.
RJ Scott is the bestselling author of over one hundred romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.
