The First Rule of Torching: Cleanse with fire. Josh is by far the best zombie Torcher around—at least, he is in his virtual-reality zombie-hunting game. Josh has quickly risen through the player ranks, relying on the skill, cunning, and agility of a real Torcher. The Second Rule of Torching: Save all humans. But luckily for Josh, zombies exist only in the virtual world. The real zombie war is now more than fifteen years in the past, and the battle to defeat the deadly epidemic that devastated his family—and millions of others—is the stuff of history lessons. The Third Rule of Torching: You can't bring them back. Charlie is the top-ranked player in the game. Since all the players are shrouded in anonymity, Josh never expects Charlie to be a girl—and he never expects the offer she makes him: to join the underground gaming league that takes the virtual-reality game off the screen and into the streets. Josh is thrilled. But the more involved he gets, the more he realizes that not everything is what it seems. Real blood is spilling, members of the team are disappearing, and the zombies in the game are acting strange. And then there's the matter of a mysterious drug called Z. . . .

After two hundred years undead, Jane Austen still has bite. But will her most recent literary success be her last? Life was a lot easier for Jane when she was just an unknown, undead bookstore owner in a sleepy hamlet in upstate New York. But now the world embraces her as Jane Fairfax, author of the bestselling novel Constance—and she’s having a killer time trying to keep her true identity as the Jane Austen a secret. Even the ongoing lessons in How to Be a Vampire, taught by her former lover Lord Byron, don’t seem to be helping much. Jane can barely focus on her boyfriend, Walter, while keeping him in the dark about her more sanguine tastes. To make matters worse, Walter announces that his mother is coming for a visit—and she’s expecting Jane to be Jewish. Add in a demanding new editor, a convention of romance readers in period costume, a Hollywood camera crew following Jane’s every move, and the constant threat of a certain bloodsucking Brontë sister coming back to finish her off, and it’s enough to make even the most well-mannered heroine go batty! From the Trade Paperback edition.

When a car accident leaves photographer Burke Crenshaw in need of temporary full-time care, he finds himself back in the one place no forty-year-old chooses to be--his childhood bedroom. There, in the Vermont home where he grew up, Burke begins the long process of recuperation, and watches as his widowed father finds happiness in a new relationship that's a constant reminder of everything Burke wants and lacks. Exploring local history, Burke discovers an intriguing series of letters from a Civil War soldier to his fiancé. With the help of librarian Sam Guffrey, he begins to research a 125-year-old mystery that seems to be reaching into the present day. The more Burke delves into the past, the more he's forced to confront the person he has become: the choices he made and those he avoided, his ideas of what it takes to be a successful gay man, his feelings about his mother's death, and the suppressed tension that simmers between himself and his father. Compelling, frankly funny, and often wise, The Road Home is the story of one man's coming to terms with who he is, what he wants out of life, and where he belongs--and the complex, surprising path that finally takes him there.

Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York. Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves—along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own. To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers—116 times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity—and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors. Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do? From the Trade Paperback edition.

From Michael Thomas Ford, the critically acclaimed author of Last Summer and Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me, comes this sizzling collection of fantasies culled from more than a decade of his best erotic work. These stories of heat, lust, desire, need, and transformation-an Olympian bacchanal, a chance meeting in the men's room, an S&M-fueled "coaching" session, a police officer who'll do what it takes to get a confession-are as incredibly hot as they are exquisitely crafted. There's "Becoming Al," an "X-rated Flannery O'Connor story" that takes place on the stage at a male peep show. The mosh pit of an underground club brings two punks to the edge and over in the adrenaline-charged "Diving the Pit." A gorgeous window washer gives a worker drone some high-rise sex in "Washing Up." And the power of a young man's first sexual awakening-and the reunion it inspires twenty years later-lies at the heart of the achingly sensual "The Boys of Summer." Along the way, Ford turns up the heat by confessing the naughty personal thoughts that inspired his steamiest erotica. A visit to his incredibly sexy dentist led to Ford's delicious story of one explosive oral exam in "The Check Up." The summer sounds drifting up from the New York City streets on a hot summer night influenced Ford's sinfully sexy voyeuristic fantasy, "Wednesday, 2 A.M." A hunky conductor on a commuter train gave Ford lustful thoughts and a whole new meaning for the term "Riding the Rails." And the discovery of anonymous nude Polaroids gave birth to the no-holds-barred "Dirty Pictures." Hard-core, tender, imaginative, candid, and just plain hot, these stories prove that when it comes to erotica that's down-and-dirty AND intelligent, nobody does it better than Michael Thomas Ford.

From four talented authors comes a collection of sexy and erotic novellas featuring gay vampires. His Hunger, by William J. Mann It's a work obligation that leads Jeremy Horne to the reclusive Maine estate of eccentric Bartholomew Craven. Now, Jeremy finds himself the man's prisoner, the victim of erotic dreams where handsome men ravage his body and Bartholomew grows younger and more irresistible with each drop of Jeremy's blood. . . Sting, by Michael Thomas Ford After his lover's sudden death, librarian Ben Hodges seeks refuge in a sleepy Ozark town. But his summer of healing turns to intrigue when he encounters soft-spoken beekeeper, Titus Durham, a man whose hidden obsession will change Ben's life forever. . . Bradon's Bite, by Sean Wolfe With his wavy black hair and turquoise eyes, Bradon Lugo can have any man he wants--but what he wants in return is more than any lover would dream of giving. And what blond, innocent Kirk Courey offers is too tempting for Bradon to resist. . .a chance at the love of a thousand lifetimes. . . Devoured, by Jeff Mann By night, Derek Maclaine loses himself in New York's leather bar underground, trying to forget the brutal murder of his lover in Scotland, centuries ago. But now, danger threatens his new lover, and this time, Derek will have his revenge. . .

How will Jane Austen break the news to her fiancé that she’s not only undead, but also a two-hundred-plus-year-old literary icon?   In sleepy upstate New York, Jane’s wedding preparations have taken on a bloodsucking intensity. So when Walter suggests they ditch it all and combine their marriage and honeymoon with a house tour of Europe, Jane jumps at the chance to flee Lord Byron and the lingering threat of Charlotte Brontë. But to Jane’s chagrin, more than one secret from her past is about to resurface. From an Agatha Christie–style murder mystery to a wedding interrupted by the ghosts of the Princes in the Tower to a shocking revelation about Walter’s mother, nothing about this trip is less than pure mayhem. And when a chance encounter puts Jane on the trail of a legendary device reputed to restore a vampire’s human soul, will our beloved heroine finally be able to vow her love and devotion—or will a vampire hunter’s vengeance drive a stake through her eternal life? From the Trade Paperback edition.

History professor Ned Brummel is living happily with his partner of 12 years in small-town Maine when he receives a call from his estranged friend, Jack, telling him that another friend, Andy, is very ill and possibly near death. The news shatters the peace of his world and awakens memories that have been dormant for years.

I'm not crazy. I don't see what the big deal is about what happened. But apparently someone does think it's a big deal because here I am. I bet it was my mother. She always overreacts. Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Clearly, this is all a huge mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about his problems with his best friend, Allie, and her boyfriend, Burke. Jeff's perfectly fine, perfectly normal, not like the other kids in the hospital with him. Now they've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags on: the crazies start to seem less crazy. Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real, Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel from award-winning author Michael Thomas Ford that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us.

Hungry. Ruthless. Irresistibly erotic. Succumb to desire as dark and mysterious as the men featured in these four tales of sensual--and deliciously sinister--passion. . . Midnight Thirsts The Nightwatchers, by Greg Herren Aspiring actor Phillip Rutledge is looking only for a role in a local theater production when he finds something much more tempting in the arms of mysterious Kevin Lockhart. Yet what Kevin craves may be more than Phillip is willing to offer as he learns that one more night in the sensuous stranger's embrace may be his last. . . Carnival, by Michael Thomas Ford As chief mechanic for a traveling show, Joe Flanagan has found the perfect place to hide what has always set him apart--his desire for other men. But when a new attraction is added to the carnival, presided over by the seductive Mr. Star, Joe finds himself a player in a dangerous game that promises a kind of pleasure he's only dreamed of. . . The Vampire Stone, by Timothy Ridge Antiques dealer Roland Weir is thrilled with the chance to sell a valuable, ornately carved box dating back to the 1700s--but he's even more intrigued by the man who offers it, and the strange caveat that accompanies the object. Suddenly, the life Roland has known hangs in the balance as the necklace inside the box reveals the promise of unearthly power--and untold bliss. Vampire, Inc., by Sean Wolfe A typical boys' night out becomes an odyssey of pleasure when Chance Foster meets Christiano Montez, a newcomer to Denver. Startled to discover that the charismatic, otherworldly young man is a vampire, Chance is still willing to risk everything to hold onto his sensual new lover--even in the face of a rival vampire's deadly blood lust. . . Indulge in the forbidden pleasures of the vampire in this collection of lushly erotic stories that will make your blood run hot. . .

Few authors write about the full spectrum of gay men's lives with as much warmth, honesty, humor, and compassion as Michael Thomas Ford. Now the bestselling author of Last Summer, Looking For It, and Full Circle, delivers a shimmering, heartwarming story of one summer in the lives of three people, of the elusive search for human connection--and the necessity of love. Marine biologist Ben Ransome understands the sea, especially the tiny, beautiful sea slugs he has studied and admired for most of his life. What Ben doesn't understand are people, and now, one of the most important people in his life--his sixteen-year-old daughter, Caddie--is coming to live with him for the summer. But the sweet, happy child he remembers has been replaced by a wounded, angry stranger who resents everything about her father. Caddie is determined to act out in every way, leaving Ben feeling more alone than ever. Hudson Jones has come to Monterey, California, to find the answers to all his questions. The young, ambitious graduate student believes he's found a lost John Steinbeck novel called Changing Tides that seems to hint at the author's love for his best friend, Ed "Doc" Ricketts. If he can prove it, his career will be made. And then, perhaps he can quiet the personal demons that haunt him. But first, he'll need some local help in his research, and Ben just may be able to supply him with access to the information he needs. It's clear to Hudson that the handsome, quietly passionate Ben needs some help, too--with Caddie and his life. Sharing dinners and walks on the beach, intellectual discussions and heart-to-heart conversations, Ben and Hudson move from tentative friendship to a surprising, revelatory relationship, one with the power to point them toward the most important discoveries of their lives. For Ben, it's a summer of new beginnings, even as his daughter embarks on a dangerous course that will test the new happiness he's found... Changing Tides is an extraordinary novel that explores the glorious flaws and frailties of human beings in the never-ending struggle to connect, to be open to love, and to embrace the unknown in order to live fully.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the only guy in my school who can replace a faulty kick-down switch and also create the perfect smoky eye."The Weyward family has been haunted by a curse for generations—if a Weyward falls in love before their seventeenth birthday, the person they love dies.Sam doesn't plan to fall for anyone in the weeks before his birthday. He'll spend his time working at the Eezy-Freeze with his dad; cooking up some midsummer magic with his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother (the Grands); and experimenting with drag with the help of the queens at the Shangri-La, the local gay club.But when a new guy comes to town, Sam finds himself in trouble when they strike up a friendship that might be way more than that.As Sam's birthday approaches and he still hasn't quite fallen in love, the curse seems to get more powerful and less specific about who it targets.A mysterious girl Sam talks to on the...

Life was a lot easier for Jane when she was just an unknown, undead bookstore owner in a sleepy hamlet in upstate New York. But now the world embraces her as Jane Fairfax, author of the bestselling novel Constance —and she’s having a killer time trying to keep her true identity as the Jane Austen a secret. Even the ongoing lessons in How to Be a Vampire, taught by her former lover Lord Byron, don’t seem to be helping much. Jane can barely focus on her boyfriend, Walter, while keeping him in the dark about her more sanguine tastes. To make matters worse, Walter announces that his mother is coming for a visit—and she’s expecting Jane to be Jewish. Add in a demanding new editor, a convention of romance readers in period costume, a Hollywood camera crew following Jane’s every move, and the constant threat of a certain bloodsucking Brontë sister coming back to finish her off, and it’s enough to make even the most well-mannered heroine go batty!

Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York. Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves—along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own. To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers—116 times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity—and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors. Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do?