Christmas Romance

Wird seinem besten Freund sein tiefstes Geheimnis zu verraten, ihre Freundschaft ruinieren?

Sutter Thompson hat einen großen Teil seines Lebens damit verbracht, eine Lüge zu leben.

Diese Lüge hat ihn dazu gebracht, eine Frau zu heiraten, die er nicht so liebte, wie er das sollte, während er damit kämpfte, alles zu sein, was seine Familie von ihm wollte. Endlich, nach der Geburt seines Sohnes Zachary, wurde Sutter klar, dass er seine Wahrheit leben musste. Nicht nur für sich selbst, sondern auch für Zach. Die Wahrheit beinhaltete, sich mit vierzig zu outen, sich scheiden zu lassen, während sein Sohn noch ein Säugling war und zu versuchen, wieder die Person zu werden, als die er geboren worden war.

Während all dieser Umwälzungen stand Sutters bester Freund, Watley McCutcheon, an seiner Seite. Watley verstand, wie schwer es sein konnte, sich zu befreien. Er hatte es vor vielen Jahren getan, als sie auf dem College noch im selben Hockeyteam gespielt hatten. Sutter hatte Watleys Mut immer bewundert. Er hatte seinen besten Freund auch für viele andere Dinge bewundert … sein Lächeln, sein Lachen, seine Hingabe an seinen Sohn, Adam, und sein liebevolles Herz. Jetzt da Watley wieder Single ist, hofft Sutter, dass er das letzte Geheimnis lüften kann, das er in seinem Herzen trägt … er hat Watley immer geliebt und wird ihn immer lieben.

Er hatte nicht vorgehabt, das bei den Youth Hockey Awards zu tun, aber andererseits hatte er nicht erwartet, dass eine Lawine ihn, Watley, ihre Söhne und mehrere Teamkollegen der Jungs in einem gemütlichen kleinen Hotel in Colorado festsetzten würde. Vielleicht ist es die romantische Atmosphäre oder die plötzliche Erkenntnis, dass das Leben zu kurz ist, um so starke Gefühle auf ewig insgeheim zu hegen, aber er ist bereit, Watley seine Liebe zu gestehen. Können sie die rein freundschaftliche Zone verlassen und eine Romanze beginnen oder wird Sutters Geständnis aus tiefstem Herzen Jahre brüderlicher Hingabe zerstören?

 

Doppelt Geprüft (Eine Snowed Inn Novella) ist eine schwule Romanze, in der Freunde zu Liebhabern werden, mit jeder Menge Schnee, einer großen Portion Romantik, Schneeballschlachten, schrecklichen Dad-Jokes, Pop-Kultur-Referenzen aus dem Nichts und einem fröhlichen Happy End.

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An injury threatens to end Stan’s career. Will he choose to fight for his beloved hockey, or put his family first? 

Few goalies are as dedicated as Stan Lyamin, known for his resilience on the ice, talking to his pipes, and his love of Elvis. Add in his adoration of his family and his life has been filled with all the things that bring him joy.  However, after a heart-wrenching game ends with a disastrous hip injury, Stan faces the most challenging obstacle of his career: surgery, an extensive recovery, and the looming threat of retirement. It’s now that he has to decide which path to take: the one that will lead him back to the game he adores or the one that will see his jersey lifted to the rafters.

Erik and Stan, once invincible with the Railers, have always skated through life's challenges hand in hand. Their love story, cemented by a shared passion for hockey and the joy of raising their children, has been their shield against the world. But when their son Noah’s life is changed forever by a medical diagnosis, this forever love is put to the test. Erik turns to his husband for support, but Stan is consumed with guilt, overwhelmed by decisions, and retreats into himself when his family needs him the most.

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Being the new man in the crease can be tough. Mitch Adams, former back-up for the Cougars is now the main man in goal, replacing August Miles, who was recently called up to the pros. There are lots of new things happening in Mitch’s life and not everything is because of hockey.

Two years ago, he shared an explosive kiss with his childhood friend, Olympic snowboarder, Shaun Sandbeck. Since then, Mitch has been more than a little confused about a multitude of things pertaining to who he is, his sexuality, and the fact that he can’t stop thinking about that kiss and how he wants more.

For Mitch, going home for Christmas is a chance to find his focus and face the man who caused all this confusion. Is it possible for the two men to untangle lust from love, and find a future together that works?

(Previously published in the Hockey Holidays Anthology)

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L’aveu de son plus grand secret à son meilleur ami gâchera-t-il leur amitié ?

Sutter Thompson a passé une bonne partie de son existence à vivre un mensonge.
Ce mensonge l’a mené à épouser une femme qu’il n’aimait pas comme il l’aurait dû alors qu’il faisait de son mieux pour être tout ce que sa famille voulait qu’il soit. Finalement, après la naissance de son fils Zachary, Sutter a compris qu’il devait vivre dans la vérité. Pas simplement pour lui-même, mais pour Zach, également. La vérité nécessitait de faire son coming-out à quarante ans, de divorcer alors que son fils n’était qu’un nourrisson et d’essayer de s’ajuster à l’existence pour laquelle il était né.

Au milieu de tout ce chaos, le meilleur ami de Sutter, Watley McCutcheon est resté à ses côtés. Watley comprenait comme il était difficile de s’évader. Il l’avait lui-même fait de nombreuses années auparavant, quand ils jouaient encore dans la même équipe de hockey universitaire. Sutter a toujours admiré le courage de Wat. Il admirait également son meilleur ami pour de nombreuses autres choses… son sourire, son rire, son adoration pour son fils, Adam, et son cœur attentionné. Maintenant que Watley est à nouveau célibataire, Sutter espère pouvoir déverrouiller l’ultime secret qu’il porte dans son cœur… il aime et aimera toujours Watley.

Il n’avait pas prévu de le faire lors de la remise de prix du hockey junior, mais après tout, il ne s’était pas non plus attendu à ce qu’une avalanche l’oblige à se réfugier avec Watley, leurs fils et plusieurs de leurs coéquipiers dans une confortable auberge du Colorado. C’est peut-être à cause de l’atmosphère romantique ou la prise de conscience soudaine que la vie est trop courte pour entretenir des sentiments si forts, mais il est prêt à avouer ses sentiments à Watley. Peuvent-ils sortir de cette amitié pour s’engager dans une relation romantique ou l’aveu sincère de Sutter détruira-t-il des années d’affection fraternelle ?

Mon cœur amoureux (un roman de l’auberge enneigée) est une romance gay mettant en scène des amis devenant amants, avec une tonne de neige, un tas de romantisme, des batailles de boule de neige, d’horribles blagues paternelles, des références à la pop culture à la pelle et une fin heureuse et joyeuse.

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Minor league goalie Adam Seiger is a nice guy. He’s kind, cute, and a little quirky (but show me a goalie who isn’t) and he loves to interact with fans. During a meet and greet after a game Adam meets Cason Reyes, a hard-working young man with stunning amber eyes and a smile as sweet as a candy cane. Desperate to see Cason again, Adam does something more than a little naughty.

To add insult to the egg nog, it appears that one little white lie may end Adam’s chance of having a merry Christmas with a new boyfriend. Will he end up with nothing but a lump of coal in his stocking, instead of the man who owns his heart?

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Riusciranno due uomini con idee politiche completamente diverse a superare gli schieramenti in nome della loro amata città e per salvare il Natale?

Evan Griffiths si sta godendo il suo mandato di sindaco di Cedarburg, Pennsylvania, che, sebbene sia a malapena un puntino sulla mappa dello stato, è il luogo dove è cresciuto e l’uomo è davvero felice di essere al timone della piccola comunità rurale. Archiviate le elezioni, Evan può concentrarsi sul suo programma con cui intende portare Cedarburg fuori dagli anni Cinquanta. Essere il primo sindaco gay nella storia della città è stato un buon inizio, ma c’è ancora tanto da fare. Il suo primo obiettivo è quello di rendere più importante e partecipato l’annuale Mercatino Natalizio così da attirare più turisti grazie a cui risanare il bilancio dell’amministrazione. Le cose sembrano andare per il verso giusto, quando un fantasma del Natale passato arriva in città sul primo autobus del mattino.

Appena rimesso piede a Cedarburg, Gideon Pierce riprende da dove si era interrotto quando frequentava le elementari: tormentare Evan a ogni occasione. Solo che ora, invece di spintonarlo nel cortile della scuola, lo perseguita con i suoi aggressivi editoriali sul giornale locale. L’opinionista non è più il ragazzino allampanato e con i denti sporgenti di una volta e per Evan, quando il suo sguardo si posa sulla bocca di Gideon o sui suoi occhi verdi, è sempre più difficile rimanere concentrato sulle risposte argute da dare ai suoi commenti affilati.

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Can the magic of Christmas, and the soft voice of a man who has seen too much, show Bryan a future where anything is possible?

Bryan Graham is shocked to find he’s inherited a hunting cabin in north-central Pennsylvania. From his grandfather of all people; a stubborn man who went out of his way to make Bryan’s childhood miserable. He’d vowed never to go back to the small, rural community of Kutter’s Summit, not that he didn’t have fond memories of the place. It’s just that he’d rather be celebrating a quiet Christmas back in Nashville with his cat and his contracts.

A couple of weeks of hunting, cleaning, and handyman work, and he can hopefully put the place up for sale and move on with his life. He never expected to find his childhood friend Parson Greer living in the cabin. Parson is no longer a boy, but a handsome, wary man consumed by the demons of a faraway desert war. When a rekindled friendship shifts into something deeper, Bryan finds himself lost in emotions that a workaholic like him has never made time to experience before.

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A grumpy pub owner is about to have his chilly heart warmed by a down-on-his-luck country singer.

Brann Argraves has never left the charming village of Whiteham before nor does he wish to. As the owner of the Whiteham Taphouse, he is content to spend his life serving drafts of beer to the locals, shooting darts with his buddies, and shutting himself away in his cabin for the duration of the holidays. Who needs all that ho-ho-ho, any who? His sister, on the other hand, not only yanked him out of his happy yet somewhat solitary bubble, but she’s also reveling in it. Planning a winter wedding was plain foolish, Brann feels, as is making people fly to some frozen wasteland in Canada to tie the knot. Now, he’s never been happier to return home after the wedding and get back to his bar, his darts, and his little home on the outskirts of town.

Landing at a wintry airport smack dab in the middle of a nasty snow squall, Brann and his weary fellow flyers are entertained by a handsome, rumpled man busking outside the airport. There’s something almost magical about the man’s dark, sad gaze as well as his angelic vocals. Perhaps it’s the residual merry-merry of his sister’s nuptials, or maybe he recognizes a lonely kindred soul, but Brann steps way out of his comfort zone when he offers the man a warm place to sleep above his bar. Kenan Gardet settles into the pub with ease and Southern grace. The down-and-out singer quickly proves himself an asset to Brann’s business as a good barkeep and as a nightly draw on stage. What he didn’t expect was Kenan capturing his heart one plaintive song and gentle kiss at a time.

The Christmas Keeper is a standalone grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, insta-love, gay Christmas romance with a bah-humbug bar owner, a recovering country crooner, a small town tavern chock full of unique townsfolk, two geese who are not feeling the Christmas spirit, a gingerbread house bake-off, and a sweet as plum pudding happy ending.

Content warning: This story has references to past substance abuse.

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First Christmas as Mr. & Mr. 

What a magical and romantic time for newlyweds. Unfortunately, Bryn and Mike won’t be spending Christmas Eve cuddled up alone in front of a fire roasting chestnuts. They’ve been unexpectedly called upon to play Santa for Mike’s precocious nephew, Liam, when his mother and her boyfriend are called out of state to attend a funeral. It should be easy to make this holiday a special one despite the unforeseen upset, right? All it will take is love, laughter, a little romance, lots of hugs, and a heaping helping of patience when Old Kris Kringle leaves the easy assembly for someone else. 

 

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Als die Welt unter seinen Füßen wegbricht, entkommt Levi den mitleidigen Blicken und peinlichen Fragen, indem er in eine Hütte in Big Bear fährt. Als seine alte Flamme, James, vor seiner Tür steht, wird das Versprechen, getrennt zu bleiben, das sie sich gegeben haben, zerschmettert und irgendwie packt die Liebe sie.

Vor fünf Jahren hat sich gegenseitig anzumaulen und sich miteinander zu messen in Leidenschaft verwandelt, als Levi und James sich geküsst haben. Damals, mit achtzehn, hatten sie noch ihr ganzes Leben vor sich, aber Hockey war alles und als sie in verschiedene Ecken des Landes gedraftet wurden, wussten sie, dass es nicht weitergehen konnte, und haben sich versprochen, dass ihre Beziehung enden und nie wieder erwähnt werden würde.

Aber dann schlägt der Krebs zu, Levi sieht sich unsicheren Zeiten gegenüber, als seine Karriere zerbröselt und sein Leben auf den Kopf gestellt wird. Es gibt nur eines, dessen er sich sicher ist und das ist, dass er weder James braucht, noch das gegebene Versprechen, zurück in sein Leben zu kommen. Oder?

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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 with You

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?

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Confessare il suo segreto più nascosto al suo migliore amico rovinerà la loro amicizia?

Sutter Thompson ha trascorso gran parte della vita nascondendosi dietro una menzogna.

Quella menzogna l’ha portato a sposare una donna che non amava come avrebbe dovuto, mentre si sforzava di accontentare le aspettative della sua famiglia. Dopo la nascita del figlio Zachary, Sutter si è reso conto di aver bisogno di vivere alla luce della verità. Non soltanto per se stesso ma anche per Zach. Quella verità include fare coming out a quarant’anni, divorziare quando suo figlio è molto piccolo e cercare di adattarsi a essere davvero se stesso.

Il suo migliore amico, Watley McCutcheon, gli è sempre stato accanto attraverso le tempeste della vita. Watley ha sempre capito quanto potesse essere difficile essere liberi. Lui era uscito dall’armadio molti anni prima quando erano ancora nella stessa squadra di hockey del college. Sutter ha sempre ammirato il coraggio di Wat. Ha sempre ammirato il suo migliore amico anche per altre cose… il suo sorriso, la sua risata, il modo in cui adora suo figlio Adam e il suo animo predisposto all’amore. Ora che Watley è di nuovo single, Sutter spera di riuscire a svelare l’ultimo segreto che ha nel cuore: l’ha sempre amato e sempre lo amerà.

Non progettava di dichiararsi durante le premiazioni dell’hockey giovanile e non si aspettava certo che una valanga bloccasse lui, Watley, i loro figli e molti dei compagni di squadra dei ragazzi in un grazioso hotel del Colorado. Forse è l’atmosfera romantica, forse è il rendersi conto all’improvviso che la vita è troppo breve per tenere nascosti sentimenti tanto importanti nascosti, ma Sutter è pronto.

Riusciranno a uscire dalla friend zone e a vivere una storia d’amore, o la sua confessione distruggerà anni di affetto fraterno?

Checking it Twice (Una novella della raccolta Snowed Inn) è una storia d’amore gay friends-to-lovers piena di neve e con una generosa porzione di romanticismo, battaglie a palle di neve, barzellette terribili, riferimenti alla cultura pop e uno splendido lieto fine

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It started as toddlers covered in glitter and became years of friendship. The story of Cody and Regen, and how the best things in life are worth waiting for.

Cody first met Regen when they were three and covered in glitter after a Christmas decoration project went disastrously wrong. After bonding over the taste of glue, and eating all the chocolate on the tree, the two became best friends. Living in a small Canadian town outside of Calgary, they grew up together, went to the same school, played on the Chipmunks peewee hockey team, and shared a passion for both the Calgary Cobras and chocolate. While Cody stayed at home, went to a local college, and became a teacher, Regen was on a very different path.

Regen and Cody. Their names had become inseparable over the years, just as they had. Through good times and bad, the two boys were thick as thieves and close as brothers. When the boys became men, life tried its best to pry them apart, sending Regen to LA to play professional hockey while Cody remained in Canada and pursued his dream of becoming a teacher. Even with thousands of miles between them, Regen and Cody remained best friends.

Cody is in love with his best friend, and Regen is in love with hockey, and it seems that it will take the magic of Christmas to bring the waiting to an end.

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Deux hommes complètement opposés apprendront-ils à transcender les frontières pour le bien de leur ville adorée et pour sauver Noël ?

Evan Griffiths apprécie sa fonction de maire dans la ville de Cedarburg, en Pennsylvanie. Bien qu’il ne s’agisse que d’un minuscule point sur la carte du pays, c’est là qu’il a grandi et il est ravi d’être aux commandes de cette petite communauté rurale. Maintenant qu’il a été élu, Evan peut se concentrer sur son programme pour extirper Cedarburg des années cinquante. Être le premier maire gay de l’histoire de la ville est un bon début, mais il a encore une tonne de choses à faire. Sa première grande mission est d’agrandir la Foire de Noël annuelle afin d’attirer les touristes dans sa ville de naissance qui fait face à un défi budgétaire. Les choses semblent progresser à un bon rythme, mais un fantôme des Noëls passés arrive par le bus du matin.

Dès que Gideon Pierce revient à Cedarburg, il reprend exactement où il s’était arrêté, à l’école primaire, quand il tourmentait Evan à chaque instant. Seulement, cette fois-ci, au lieu de pousser Evan dans l’aire de jeux, Gideon le dérange avec ses éditoriaux cinglants dans le journal local. Gideon n’est plus le gamin dégingandé aux dents proéminentes qu’il était auparavant. Le regard d’Evan ne cesse de se poser sur la bouche du journaliste et sur le feu appréciateur dans ses yeux brillants, verts comme du houx. Il trouve donc de plus en plus ardu de demeurer concentré sur ses répliques spirituelles pour contrer les points de vue tranchants de Gideon.

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A second chance at love is all Kyle wants for Christmas, but a dark menace from his past wants him dead, and love is second to staying alive.

Kyle Lourenco has carved out a comfortable life and career for himself in Boston. With the holidays quickly approaching, he’s heading home for the first time in several years. Home to his loving parents and the small Canadian town that he grew up in. Home to Christian, his best friend and the first man to steal his heart.

As a winter storm blows in, Kyle is forced off the road, miles from home, as a dark and sinister force from his past creeps ever closer. His only hope is getting to Christian’s cabin before the evil that has haunted him for years finally catches up to him.

Best friends since they were three, Christian grew up next door to Kyle, in a remote mountain town with one stoplight and a forty-mile round trip to the nearest school. When Kyle left town for a shot at a professional hockey career, he took Christian’s heart with him. Even though he knew Kyle was always destined for bigger things, it hadn’t stopped Christian from falling for him as soon as he knew what love was.

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