J. M Snyder

Eight short contemporary stories celebrating gay love in its many forms. From falling in love for the first time to mending a broken relationship to spending a lifetime shared, each of the stories in this collection offer a glimpse into the lives of gay men who live and love together. While a few of these stories are available in anthologies, they are collected here for the first time. Contains the stories: Afflicted: It's hard to understand why some...

Drew isn't into BDSM and doesn't get off on calling anyone "Master." So he doesn't know why he lets his friend Sean talk him into attending a weekend affair hosted by a local bondage group. When he finds out it's a pony play weekend, Drew doesn't think things can get much worse. But they do -- his insolent manner once outfitted turns a harsh trainer on him. Salvation comes at the hands of a gentle man named Phillip, who leads the abused Drew to a...

I had the worst crush on Mikey Pierce's dad. As excited as I was to graduate high school and go away to college, what I looked forward to more was returning home a grown man who might fit in with the guys Mr. Pierce invited over for poker at his place. Whenever I spent the night at Mikey's, I always wanted to join in their game. The week before leaving for college, I stayed at Mikey's one last time. While Mr. Pierce and his buddies gambled, Mikey...

It's close to midnight, New Year's Eve, and Matt is tired of watching Vic mingle at Roxie's party. After several beers, Matt wants a piece of his lover, and he wants it now. And we all know Matt gets what he wants. In this story, there are no references to Vic's super powers or the special bond Matt shares with his lover, so if you haven't read any of my other Vic and Matt stories, you can still enjoy this one.

CJ is a skateboarder who would rather spend his days boarding or customizing his deck and can't seem to hold onto a job now that he's officially "grown up" and graduated from high school. He lives with his lover, Richard, who wears a suit and tie to the office every day. Together they make an unlikely pair. This story is a snapshot look at their relationship, how they come together and how they stay together despite society's negative attitude towards...

Jesse McCray ekes out a hard living cutting cattle from the local beef baron of Defiance, Texas. He's known for his quick draw and his steady aim; no one outguns him. Whenever he and his ragtag group of friends known as the Rustlers ride into town, the local cowboys hold their breaths, waiting for the men to ride through. But one evening, while playing faro at Billy's Saloon, Jesse's attention is drawn to a new face in the crowd. Ethan Phillips is...

The third day of your honeymoon finds us sitting at your kitchen table, using the knives my parents gave you as a wedding gift to whittle wooden stakes from broken chair legs. I spent my whole life in love with you, and even allowed myself a brief moment of hope that you might return my affection one drunk morning when we crossed over the line between friendship and something more. Then you went and got married. To a vampire. When you called me for...

Carey Thornton is tired of couples. All his friends have someone special and he feels like the odd man out. Painfully single, Carey cruises the nightclubs and gay party scene, flirting with any hot guy who looks his way, but he always seems to be the one to go home alone. It's comic convention weekend at the Omni Hotel where Carey works, and somehow he got roped into working the registration desk in the dealer room. While checking in the vendors before...

College senior Jake Mallory cares more about his reputation as a former high school jock turned party animal than his grade point average. His time in class is spent counting down to the weekend, when he'll hit the gay club scene with his roommate Holly, who doubles as his designated driver. To celebrate being back at school after summer break, Jake parties so hard, he wakes up Sunday morning with blurred memories of the past two days. Worse than...

Once a Yankee soldier, Brance Brenneman has left the War Between the States behind and gone into hiding with his lover, former Confederate Caleb Chilson. Deserters intent on keeping to themselves, they find a nice, sparse acre of land where they can finally settle down. Life falls into domesticated routine for both the brooding Yank and the excitable Rebel. Together they struggle to create a more perfect union forged of love and their shared shapeshifting...