"The Order of the Soul has been disbanded for years, the sisterhood of the Warriors scattered to the winds. But when Makena wished to learn the Warrior's Way, Jhyssa took the young neophyte under her tutelage. Now the impossible has happened -- war has broken out in the land, and the battlecry sounds once more. Will Makena heed the Warrior's teachings or seek her own way?"

Amber has had a fierce crush on Nate, her brother Bryan's best friend, since she was nine years old. Now that she's almost old enough to date, she knows who she wants her first boyfriend to be. Unfortunately, Nate doesn't really talk to her, and Bryan won't set them up.<br><br>Then Amber finds out why.

Karen has always suspected her son Brian is gay. When he comes out to her his junior year of high school, she's happy he has finally embraced his sexuality. He's a well-rounded student -- gets straight A's, plays all the sports, and has a bright future ahead. But it worries her when he says he's the only gay kid at his school. Though his best friend knows he's gay, he doesn't want to risk coming out to anyone else and losing his popularity.<br><br>It breaks Karen's heart to see him so down. He should be going on dates like other kids his age. A dental assistant for an oral surgeon, Karen decides to subtly look for a good match for her son at work.<br><br>But when she discovers a former teammate of Brian's might be interested, her son gets angry at her for potentially exposing his sexuality. Can Mom make him see she's only trying to help?

"Mackenzie ""Mack"" Shaw coaches the Lady Rebels, a women's college basketball team. Her players think she's approachable and fun, and when two of them ask her to tag along to the Richmond Tattoo Arts Festival, she agrees, but she isn't interested in getting inked. At the Festival, Mack meets Heather Kelley, an androgynous-looking tattoo artist who piques her interest. Flirtatious small talk leads to a first date, and the two women really hit it off. The new basketball season keeps Mack busy, and Heather has personal issues that prevent her from committing fully to a relationship. But as the months go by, Mack and Heather form a deeper connection through texts and phone calls and the occasional get-together, even if they don't have time to officially ""date."" Despite their growing closeness, Mack can't help feeling there's something Heather is hiding from her. Then, as she's coming home from an away game, she receives the dreaded text, We need to talk . Is Heather finally ready to share her deepest secret with Mack? Is she ready to explain why some people call her Heath? Mack's in love with Heather, but is the love she feels more than skin deep?"

"As a child, Morlea's handmaid wove wondrous tales to amuse her. Among these stories was the legend of Talitha, a princess like Morlea herself, trapped in a tower whose walls wept at her unjust imprisonment. An evil wizard hid her away until a prince could save her, then struck the land and its people barren to prevent any attempt at rescue. Morlea believes the story nothing more than a fantasy until, years later, she discovers a possible location for the fabled tower. Dissatisfied with palace life and looking for adventure, she decides to chase down Talitha on her own. A princess needs to be rescued, of course. And if there aren't any able-bodied princes up to the task, why can't another princess be the savior for once?"

"At twelve, Brandy knows the truth about Santa Claus, but the secret of his identity is safe with her because she doesn’t want to ruin Christmas for her little brother Alex. Plus, to be completely honest, she doesn’t want to miss out on getting her own fair share of “Santa gifts” on Christmas day, either. So when Alex wakes her up late on Christmas Eve insisting he’s seen Santa in the living room, Brandy knows he’s wrong. The only people home with them are Daddy and Papa. But Alex wants her to sneak out with him into the hallway to see for herself. Can Brandy satisfy Alex’s curiosity without spoiling Christmas for the whole family?"

"Kiersten has always been a fan of personal massagers, and her favorite is the PleasureWand 3000, a powerful vibe that plugs in the wall and brings instant release. Kiersten thinks she loves her wand more than she loves sex, and she can’t imagine why she’d need a real girlfriend with the buzzing beast in her bed. But when her PleasureWand’s cord frays over time, almost blowing a fuse and threatening to electrocute her in the process, Kiersten finds herself in the market for a new toy. The wand isn’t cheap, and the website she buys it from takes her money and runs, leaving her out of cash and out of luck. But a local sex toy shop called Amaryllis has the PleasureWand in stock, so Kiersten decides to swing by on her lunch break. She’s a little embarrassed to be seen in such a place, to be honest, but sexy owner Amy soon puts her at ease. She introduces Kiersten to her favorite vibe, a lightweight, waterproof, cordless wonder called the Genie 500, and she’s more than ready to give Kiersten a demo to prove her point. Can Amy’s sales pitch change Kiersten’s mind? Will the Genie really make all her dreams come true?"

"When Emily Stevenson returns home for her brother’s wedding, she’s surprised at how little her hometown has changed in the twenty years she’s been gone. Before she heads to her parents’ house, she stops at Waffle House for a bite to eat. There she runs into Jenna McAllister, her former best friend in school whom she hasn’t seen in years. Jenna stirs up emotions Emily hasn’t felt in quite a while, and not just of friendship, either. But is she the only one? Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud."

"Once the daughter of a prominent dentist in Philadelphia, Natalie Allen wasn’t happy with the life she was expected to lead, so she left society behind and headed west. Now, in the little town of Junction, she’s known as Nat, a cowboy working on Boss Daddy’s cattle ranch. She keeps to herself, renting a room in a local boarding house instead of staying in the bunk house, and with her dungarees and short hair, no one realizes she’s living as a man. But Boss Daddy’s pretty daughter Miss Lucille takes a notice to “Mr. Nat,” and the closer the two become, the more conflicted Nat grows. She likes Miss Lucille a lot more than she knows she should, and it’s easy to forget who she’s pretending to be around the boss’s daughter. Then Miss Lucille surprises everyone, Nat included, by announcing their engagement. Nat knows they can’t marry, and if she tells Miss Lucille why, her ruse will be up. Her only choice is to leave Junction behind, even if it means breaking Miss Lucille’s heart. But will Miss Lucille let Nat go so easily?"

"As the weather warms, young Mistress Jana Trence burns with the need of adventure. The general's headstrong daughter, she knows it's dangerous beyond the walls of her hometown, but a picnic in the green meadow sounds safe enough. She manages to talk her servant and best friend, Merlie, into coming along for a quick lunch. Once beyond the walls of Ouest, Jana grows daring and races into the woods, Merlie at her heels. But the woods are full of strong magic neither girl can fight against. When Merlie is injured, Jana knows her father will learn of their little excursion, and she fears his punishment. But she fears losing Merlie more. Can the Emperor's physician treat the servant's wounds? Or will it take something stronger to heal Merlie?"

"Real estate agent Joanne McConnell has had her fair share of bad relationships. Her last girlfriend complained she spent too many long hours working and didn’t focus enough on them. Now single again, Joanne still keeps too busy a schedule to meet someone new. That all changes when she’s babysitting for her brother and meets Edie, the contractor he’s hired to fix up his home. There’s no denying the instant attraction between the two women, and Joanne is more than ready to take a chance on someone new. But Edie Davis, sole proprietor of Davis Contractors, was so badly burned by her last girlfriend that she’s sworn off dating altogether. Edie won’t let anything -- or anyone -- distract her from growing her business. She isn’t lonely, she isn’t, so she’s more than surprised when she finds herself falling for Joanne. Joanne’s offer of a business lunch turns into a date on Friday night, the first in months for either of them. Things seem to be going so well for both ladies. Can Edie let herself trust another again? Or will her past relationships screw up any chance of a future with Joanne?"

"Hairdresser Dayla Jeffreys rents a booth at a high-end salon but needs another job to make ends meet. While scrolling through employment listings online, she stumbles upon what seems to be the perfect second job -- cat sitting. She likes cats, and they're such independent creatures, she probably only needs to change the food and scoop the litter box twice a day. It sounds like easy money. On the phone, Ms. Meredith sounds like a Type A workaholic, too busy to take care of her own cats and eager to hire someone else to do it for her. She asks Dayla to meet her at a posh home in an ultra-rich neighborhood to go over the details of the job. Women like Ms. Meredith are way out of Dayla's league. So she's pleased to learn Keri Meredith is an attractive, down-to-earth small business owner and cat foster mom. Keri works long hours and needs someone to check on her latest foster, a calico who's expecting kittens at any moment. Trouble is, Dayla has no experience with birthing cats or newborn kittens. But she likes Keri, and she thinks Keri might like her, too. Do the two women have more in common than cats?"

"Josey went away to college in the hopes of leaving her small town behind, but it seems she can't break free -- every summer she returns home, even though it seems all her friends have managed to get away. Then she meets Miranda, a senior in high school, who makes Josey feel worldly and wise. The two young women strike up a friendship that threatens to blossom into something more. But Josey doesn't know where her priorities lie -- school? work? romance? She wants Miranda up until the moment when it seems Miranda feels the same, then she pushes Miranda away. She doesn't know how to get what it is she really wants, and she doesn't even really know what that might be. Can Miranda help her decide, or will Josey's feelings for the younger woman end up pushing her over the edge?"

"When Tara receives a wedding invitation from a cousin she hasn't seen in years, she knows it's nothing more than a bid for a gift or money. But Amanda lives in Wildwood, New Jersey, where Tara used to spend her summers as a child, and a much-needed vacation down the shore sounds like the perfect way to finish off a hectic summer. Every hotel in the tourist trap is booked, though, so Tara's Aunt Marlene invites her to stay with them the week of the wedding. But Wildwood isn't quite the island paradise she remembers from her youth, and both her relatives would rather get drunk than have fun on the boardwalk. Plus Marlene is determined to set Tara up with a coworker of hers even though Tara isn't interested -- in men or in romance. The vacation is beginning to look like a bust until the night of Amanda's bachelorette party, when Tara meets Delaney, a pretty bartender with fiery curls and a personality to match. Suddenly the summer heat isn't the only thing making her sweat. Can Tara salvage what's left of her time in Wildwood with Delaney's help? Or will family obligations keep her from following her heart?"

"Christina Brown is tired after a long shift at RVA Burgers, but not too tired to flirt with her last customer, Angie Johnson. But either Angie isn't a lesbian or she doesn't pick up on Christina's cues, because she doesn't seem interested in continuing their conversation once Christina's off work. Angie's always known she likes women, but she's never had a chance to find out just how much. Christina is the first to ever come onto her so brazenly, and to be honest, Angie is scared. She retreats to the restroom to text her online buddy Billy for some advice, and she's still hiding out in the stall when she hears Christina come in. But before Angie can gather up her courage to approach the gorgeous cashier, someone else enters -- a man with no business being in the ladies' room, and nothing but sex on his mind. Unaware that they aren't alone, he assaults Christina at gun point. Angie can't risk calling the police and being overheard. But she also can't stand by and watch Christina get hurt without doing something . The fact that the man doesn't know she's there, too, might work to her advantage. Will she be able to help a damsel in distress ... and maybe win the girl in the end, too?"

"Nicole Hunley is perfectly happy being single, thank you very much. But her brother Kevin, who works at an advertising firm and is married with three kids, can't understand why she isn't interested in falling in love. His new coworker Lori reminds him so much of his sister that he knows they would be perfect for each other. The trouble is convincing Nicole to give Lori a chance. Under the pretense of a summer cookout, Kevin lures Nicole to his house to meet Lori. But Nicole won't be fooled so easily. She is bound and determined not to enjoy herself, and she already knows she won't like Lori. She comes only for the free food, which makes it all the more surprising when she connects with a gorgeous woman at the drinks table. Forget Lori -- this is the woman Nicole wants to spend the rest of the evening with. Is Kevin's matchmaking attempt a success? Or does Nicole find romance on her own? or maybe some things truly are as advertised."

"Amber has had a fierce crush on Nate, her brother Bryan's best friend, since she was nine years old. Now that she's almost old enough to date, she knows who she wants her first boyfriend to be. Unfortunately, Nate doesn't really talk to her, and Bryan won't set them up. Then Amber finds out why."

"When Lara Bennett is called for a job interview, the last person she expects to run into is her old high school sweetheart. She hasn’t seen Meredith in years, having lost touch when they headed off to different colleges. Meeting up with her again after all this time reignites feelings Lara thought long buried. Meredith Marshall owns Marshall Ad Agency. When she saw Lara’s resume, she hoped it belonged to the girl she first fell in love with as a teen, and she isn’t disappointed when Lara shows up for the interview. After work, Meredith invites Lara to dinner. Things heat up between them at the restaurant, reminding the women how right they used to be together. Can Lara land the job -- and Meredith’s heart, too?"

"Nicole Hunley is perfectly happy being single, thank you very much. But her brother Kevin, who works at an advertising firm and is married with three kids, can't understand why she isn't interested in falling in love. His new coworker Lori reminds him so much of his sister that he knows they would be perfect for each other. The trouble is convincing Nicole to give Lori a chance. Under the pretense of a summer cookout, Kevin lures Nicole to his house to meet Lori. But Nicole won't be fooled so easily. She is bound and determined not to enjoy herself, and she already knows she won't like Lori. She comes only for the free food, which makes it all the more surprising when she connects with a gorgeous woman at the drinks table. Forget Lori -- this is the woman Nicole wants to spend the rest of the evening with. Is Kevin's matchmaking attempt a success? Or does Nicole find romance on her own? or maybe some things truly are as advertised."

"When Dana Kelly meets Bethany Bartlett for the first time in college, she falls in love ... hard. But her feelings go unrequited. The two become fast friends during a French class, though, and soon Dana requests a room transfer to Bethany’s dorm. Throughout their college years, Dana’s love grows and their friendship deepens. After graduation Dana struggles to put aside her feelings for Bethy. When one drunken kiss threatens to ruin everything they’ve built together, Dana would rather run away than admit how she feels. But is she still the only one who feels this way?"