Spring has sprung, and with it, smiley faces. When yellow crocuses bloom all over town in the shape of an emoji during April’s first warm days, reporter Nero Storm is sent out to discover their meaning and origin. Nero has little to smile about himself, what with dysfunctional family drama and a tragic love life. The previous fall, it seemed as if he might have finally met the man of his dreams in dog daddy, ride share operator, and charity organizer Z. Though the two spent but ten morning and evening car rides together, sparks flew. Unfortunately, at the end of that time, Nero witnessed a crime, and Z disappeared. Now, as the rest of the world looks forward to a new beginning promised by spring, Nero is left to wonder. Are the smiley face flowers a message for him, and will he ever see Z’s smile again for real?

Because of his severe stutter, Atticus never fulfills his childhood wish to make a joyful noise onstage at Christmastime. Now going by AC, the same problem isolates him with only his cat Spud for company as he forgoes the holiday season and personal, meaningful relationships altogether. On their way to pass the yuletide in Mexico, AC and Spud encounter a stranded band who call themselves The 12 Drummers Drumming. Though AC tries to resist the urge to help, he’s somehow convinced to drive them back up north in his van to ensure they make their Christmas Eve gig. AC immediately rates each guy, figuring on a one in twelve chance to at least score a holiday hookup. As he spends time with each, he sees them in less superficial terms. Sparks ignite, and by the time Christmas Eve arrives, AC has a whole new reason to believe in Christmas magic and romance.

Involved in separate accidents. Russel and Finn end up sharing a cubicle in the ER on a busy night. As the hours pass, separately and together, they face issues of life and death, human nature, addiction, perceived shortcomings, love, romance, and sexual arousal. Both men are feeling flirty and friendly at first, until they end up in a heated argument about what feature in a man is more important, his face or his body. After some time alone to think, Russel is eager to apologize for losing his temper and to explain where he was coming from. Unfortunately, Finn never returns from surgery, leaving Russel both sorry and worried. Is Russel’s chance to make amends really gone? What will happen if the two ever do come face to face again? Can Russel win Finn over or will the need to prove his point screw everything up again?

After a lifetime of devotion, Ben Thornton tries to focus on gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Unfortunately, a British tabloid reporter sets his sights on outing a famous athlete, namely Ben, who is just now accepting his sexual identity himself. Meanwhile, someone crushing on Ben reveals himself via a mysterious love note. Is best friend and teammate Richie Stoker the one, or maybe Richie’s twin brother, Adam? Team members Steven, Vijra, or Cory could have authored it. Then, there’s Ben’s ex; the exe’s sibling; friend with occasional benefits, Booger Fisher; and also Ukrainian weightlifter Iggy, who follows Ben around the Olympic Village. It could also be a trick perpetrated by the gossipmonger, Ben fears. Will the pressure of the media circus interfere with Ben’s competitions, or will Ben leave London with gold and the man of his dreams?

With another month of quarantine ahead, Dillon is depressed. Stuck with no one to talk to but the squirrel who visits his terrace for snacks, he's pretty sure June is going to suck. One morning, things start looking up when a pride flag appears on the terrace railing right across from his. Kit is up from downstate for just a month. He and Dillon hit it off and find a way to make the best of social distancing and the clothesline that runs from one building to the other. They even celebrate Pride and other occasions with their neighbors and spend some intimate moments together, despite being so far apart. As much fun as June turns out to be, what happens when Kit's short stay is over? Are the two only enjoying a brief summer fling? Will even more distance between them mean the end of everything?

Hollywood soundstage tutor Otto Brennington has always felt invisible. Then he meets super hunk Shawn Slate. Hot sex on their first date leads to a marriage proposal. With their whole lives ahead of them, they wed in Hawaii, then celebrate with a skydive, where death does them part. Otto is in for the shock of his afterlife upon discovering where he’ll now spend eternity. Once there, a series of sweet yet unexplainable visions lead him to believe the life just lost wasn’t his first. Was it also possibly not his last? With the aid of several paranormal beings, Otto learns the ins and outs of his new existence, one he plans on making temporary. Will he make it back to the land of the living and the man of his dreams? Is that man Shawn? Or will Otto decide his newest acquaintances make the place he’s in not so bad after all?

On his way to realizing his Olympic dream, Tom Alan Baranowski finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. His traditional Japanese coach is insisting upon an arranged marriage between his biological daughter Erika and adopted son Tom Alan, who are partners on the ice. Tom Alan loves Erika, and his coach literally saved his life, rescuing him from an abusive home. How can he say no? Somewhat resigned to his “not so bad” fate, everything changes when Tom Alan meets British ice dancer Milo Fisher. The spark between them is almost hot enough to melt the ice beneath their blades, and the two fall into an affair. What about Erika? What about loyalty? What about gold? For Tom Alan, the impossible throw quadruple jump is suddenly the least difficult thing in his life.

Angels Daniel and Jefferson recruit a band of heavenly hosts to spread comfort and joy this holiday season after a rough year for all. The five stories in this anthology intertwine as the angels visits old friends and new, including characters from the authors’ best-selling stories Ghost Writer, Guilt and Innocence, An Arm and a Leg, Monsters, Let’s Hang Out, 21 Smiles, and Transitions, among others. Which couples have wed? Who is set to play Tiny Tim and Dopey the Dwarf? Who gets to see his lover for the very first time? Which duos are raising children? Which pair welcomes a new one, and which couple has gone their separate ways? Can Daniel and Jefferson spread enough holiday cheer to bring everyone a merry yuletide season and hope for the new year?

Chosen by a former Olympic swimmer to train for the 2016 Games as a pre-teen, Reed’s journey begins. Along the way, he develops feelings for two childhood friends: neighbor Cal and lifelong rival Mathias. Cal’s struggle with his sexuality brings tragedy. Mathias’s wealth makes Reed feel as if they’re from different worlds. As Rio approaches, Mathias becomes a gay sports icon, while Reed must hide his sexuality for a lucrative endorsement deal important to his family’s future. Reed’s unresolved desires for both men remain, and so do the things that have kept them apart. Has Reed grown enough to navigate rougher waters, to find truth, pride, victory, and love?

From a tiny acorn grows a mighty oak, so it is with love. Undaunted by rain, snow, thunder and lighting, and even a tornado, Goose and Patrick weathered many storms from first meeting to marriage. By their side through it all, Jefferson and Calvin shared their own love story as Goose and Patrick’s guides through the present and the past and their guardian angels in Heaven and on Earth. Contains the stories: Ghost Writer: Goose is finally allowing himself to feel something again, something like love. He and Jefferson have both been through a lot, war and escaping their abusive exes. There are two problems, though. Jefferson belongs to someone else, and he’s a ghost. While Goose tries to save a tree planted by Jefferson’s lover over a hundred years ago, Jefferson tries to heal Goose’s heart, broken far too long. Snowed In: Goose and Patrick: Four men, two in this realm and two in another, fight all sorts of obstacles, including war, separation, family dysfunction, racial prejudice, homophobia, and their own inner demons to fall in love and explore or recapture their sexuality. Each pair, from this century and one in the past, help the other along the way. Nine Minutes in Heaven: Goose’s lover Patrick ends up on one side of the light, with Jefferson and Calvin. Goose’s family and his dog, Wilbur, are on this side. When Goose is seriously injured and faced with a choice between Heaven and Earth, he finds the decision impossible to make, which could result in him being stuck somewhere in between. Ghosts of Honor: Goose and Patrick have weathered many storms, literally, a massive blizzard and figuratively, death. Will a tornado on their wedding day, a group of ghostly crashers, Goose’s distraction, and Patrick’s lingering emotional pain after the attack be too much to make it through this time?

A beautiful heart-shaped wrought iron gate, but what sits behind it, a house of love or a house of horrors? Titus has always been intrigued by the southern estate with the heart-shaped gate out front. When he receives half of the massive gate as a Valentine’s Day gift, he decides to travel south to learn its origin. There Titus meets Ezra, who is about to demolish the rest of the gate, the house behind it, and even the spectacular gardens on the grounds. Titus, who loves flowers, spars with Ezra and asks why he’s hellbent on destroying everything. Ezra claims the house is evil, and nothing good deserves to be there. Will the house’s secrets change Titus’s mind about what is beautiful? What connection does Ezra have to the place? Will he find answers inside and open his heart to other possibilities, including love?

Poplar Plains Town Councilman Sam Smart isn’t focused on his secret Santa, but rather a secret prankster, as his constituents seek vengeance against a jokester pulling off pranks all over town. The prime suspect? Sam’s high school crush Kirby Dumas, who just returned to town. One nice, one naughty, Sam and Kirby were known as Smarty and Dumbass. When Kirby abruptly fled after confessing his love for Sam and also to a whopper of a prank pulled on a teacher, Sam is left to wonder what could have been. Why did Kirby leave? Was it the joke or something else? Why has he returned? To pick up where he left off with his pranks, or to pick up where he left off with Sam?

A superhero, a ghost, and an angel walk into a bar. Dario, the ghost, feels a sense of déjà vu. He died in a bar, and it seems like he might be reliving that terror over and over again. This time, however, there’s an angel at his side, Dondre, and that brings some comfort. After a few t0o many drinks, Dwight, the superhero, reveals his animosity toward angels. He’s angry angels get all the credit when someone survives a deadly incident. People think angels are real, while most believe superheroes are only found in fiction. When a wave of deadly crime sweeps across the country, Dario and Dondre become the prime suspects. Who is setting them up? All signs point to Dwight, the disgruntled superhero. Can the ghost and the angel prove themselves innocent? Will someone else die? And what of Dwight? Is he friend or foe?

Warwick, whose name has a second W that’s silent, also has a new neighbor who is anything but. The constant creak of bedsprings and headboard banging against the common wall has Warwick in 11-A wondering if the activity in 11-B is an occupation and not merely an enjoyable hobby. When Warwick finally meets noisy neighbor Dom, though fun, heat, and music ensue, uncertainty and questions remain. Some things are easily explained away by the sort of happenstance and misunderstanding silly sitcom plots are based on, but a painful past connection, a difficult future, and a lie in the present set up roadblocks Warwick and Dom struggle to get over. Can Warwick and Dom create a second verse to their love song, or will the tune end before it really begins?

Sequel to 11-B: The Noisy Neighbor Summer fireworks were undeniable, but Warwick needed time to deal with his past, so in fall, he and Dom went their separate ways. Even though fate intervened with an unplanned reunion on a flight to Europe that ended in a kiss, Warwick still took the planned break once back in England. With his head clear by winter, Warwick knows what he wants -- Dom. Dom feels the same, but his opera diva mother, who swears by romantic fables and love mythology, claims the third time is no charm. In fact, a third reunion, according to her, is always cursed. As the three embark on a Christmas concert tour, the prophecy seems to be coming true. Sfortuna, bad luck, follows them from city to city. Is Warwick and Dom’s relationship really doomed before it begins, or will mythology and Christmas spirit provide a way around the jinx?

Eli and Johnny shared their first kiss at a camp for the hearing impaired. Eli even gets Johnny to speak the word, kiss. They go their separate ways, but fate brings them back together on Valentine’s Day twenty years later, where happily ever after begins. Or does it? For much of the time between summer camp and Valentine’s Day, it was Eli and Casey, the best friend with benefits. Casey thinks things might be moving too fast for Eli and Johnny. Plus, the relationship has bumps from the start. Johnny’s family responsibilities mean his time with Eli is limited to the point of frustration. Suddenly happily ever after doesn’t feel as certain. Is Johnny and Eli’s reunion just a moment, not a lifetime? Is there room in Eli’s life for Casey still? And then there’s Eddie ...