Saying good bye was not what he thought it would be… Fifteen years ago, Timothy Rush's lover and soul mate, Basho Sakai, was murdered on a trip to Tokyo with his family. Timothy never stopped pining for the man who was his first and only love, comparing anyone else who came after him to Basho, the sensitive and handsome poet who stole his heart. Finally, still mourning and hopeless, Timothy travels from London to Tokyo to say a final good-bye. While there, he hopes to find some pleasure and some spiritual peace at the White Tiger, a gay men's hotel in Tokyo that also offers the Taoist sexual path of the White Tiger. However, once there Timothy finds more than pleasure: he learns the true tragic story of what happened to his lover. Perhaps the hand of fate has a surprise in store… Publisher’s note: This story was originally released as part of the Fabulous Brits Anthology by Total-E-Bound. It has been edited for re-release with Ai Press.

**Includes bonus story Swept Away** A LESSON IN TRUTH: David's a graduate student about to finish his thesis. Michael is his advisor and former instructor. The two shouldn't have feelings for each other, but after two years of friendship and longing, David can no longer deny what he's feeling. Is Michael ready to accept being more than a teacher to a man fifteen years younger? And if they give into their desires, is it only a way for them to say good-bye? SWEPT AWAY: The biggest case of Eddie's career and nothing's going right. He's stuck in a stifling courtroom with no air conditioning during the worst heat wave in years, and the judge has denied his latest motion. He just wants to spend a quiet night celebrating with his partner, Mike, on their fifteenth anniversary. But Mike has a surprise in mind this year. A surprise that may be more than Eddie imagined possible.

“In Playing by the Book, S. Chris Shirley tells a story I loved curling up with, featuring one of the most endearing teen protagonists I've read in years.” —Alex Sanchez, author of The God Box and Boyfriends with Girlfriends When seventeen-year-old high school newspaper editor Jake Powell, fresh from Alabama, lands in New York City to attend Columbia University's prestigious summer journalism program, it's a dream come true. But his father, a fundamentalist Christian minister, smells trouble. And his father is rarely wrong. In Playing by the Book, Jake navigates new and unfamiliar ways "up North." Starting with his feelings for a handsome Jewish classmate named Sam. What Jake could keep hidden back home is now pushed to the surface in the Big Apple. Standing by his side are a gorgeous brunette with a Park Avenue attitude and the designer bags to match, a high school friend who has watched Jake grow up and isn't sure she's ready to let him go, and an outrageously flamboyant aunt who's determined to help Jake finds the courage to accept love and avoid the pain that she has experienced. Provocative and moving, Playing by The Book is a feel-good novel about the struggles and triumphs we encounter in the search for our own truth. “There's so much to admire in Chris Shirley's debut novel, but the most remarkable thing may be its voice. Jake is both earnest and skeptical, curious and guarded, and he tells his story with an endearing humility that–somehow–avoids the sarcasm that has become the norm. Playing by the Book reminds us of how rewarding it can be to climb into someone else's head.” —Patrick Ryan, author of Send Me and Saints of Augustine

Recently widowed, with one dog now cripple and another about to give birth, Keith needs help. Problem is, he doesn't want it. When Spencer blows into his life, Keith does his best to shove Spencer back out. Spencer is everything his dead husband wasn't, and little too close to the wild side for Keith's taste. Spencer can see that Keith is drowning in details, just as he can see how a little aid would go a long way. But Keith keeps refusing help -- for everything except the crippled dog. Spencer's way into Keith's house is through fur on wheels; finding his way into Keith's heart won't be so easy.

Henry Hofstadter doesn’t date. When he needs to get laid, he drives out of town, does the deed, and goes home. Maybe ten years ago he’d’ve mocked a guy who preferred canine company to another man’s, but these days his mutt Coco is his best friend and the highlight of his week is hanging out with his nephew. He doesn’t believe in happy endings. And no fairy tale ever began Once upon a time, an arrogant jackass blew me in the storeroom of a lousy club. Math McKinney’s got a lot on his mind. He used to be a charming guy with a little bit of substance; these days he feels more like the guy still standing when everything around him is a smoking ruin. His ex is out of the country for the next year, his daughter thinks she’s his son, and his co-chair on the Committee for the Preservation of Community apparently hates him for, let’s be clear, no apparent reason. (Because that BJ was magnificent. MAGNIFICENT.) Neither of them is looking for a boyfriend. Hell, neither of them is even looking for a one night stand. Yet somehow they keep ending up together and dammed if it doesn’t seem like that’s a sign. Except…fairy tales are for children. Aren’t they?

Dylan and his long-time boyfriend Jake finally tied the knot, but they’re both too busy for a honeymoon. An unexpected getaway to a quirky motel on the Oregon coast provides the newlyweds with some much-needed alone time -- or does it? Rumor has it the motel is haunted. Dylan doesn’t believe in ghosts, but this trip might just change his mind.

Robert’s lead foot has gotten him into more trouble than he can handle this time. His reckless driving has attracted flashing blue lights in his rear-view mirror and the hot cop riding his bumper doesn’t seem content to let him get off easy. Can his clever mouth get him out of trouble before his boyfriend notices he’s late coming home?

Sometimes your first love is the one that was meant to be. Craig Harper and Jeremy Finn were best friends growing up. They attended the same school, spent all of their time together, and hung out with the same group of people. It wasn't until the day before Jeremy and his family moved across the country that they discovered their attraction to one another. Fifteen years later, they reunite by chance in New York City. Both are in relationships and have established a routine in their lives. But routines and relationships are shaken as they begin to spend time together once again. Old feelings and connections are still strong and the passion that pulls them together is a powerful, soul-searing call neither man can deny. As each deals with the issues in their own relationships, they begin to question whether the comfort of what they know is more powerful than the pull of what they could have been…and what they might become. Struggling to find the answer, only their hearts can reveal if they are meant for each other.

Gage Tackett comes off as a bad boy—detached and maybe a little dangerous. Definitely not Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson’s type. When Gage arrives at Derek’s veterinary clinic with a frostbitten stray dog, Derek realizes his most difficult student has a few things to teach him. Things he’s more than willing to learn.

Love can begin in the most unlikely of places, including a "mom and pop shop" wrestling league. John and Bret, two twenty-something athletes who separately endured abuse in their pasts, do what they knowÑthey beat up themselves and each otherÑuntil one hero-seeking boy turns their lives around with the question, "Why do you hurt each other?"John's heartache begins with a bad relationship when he's seventeen, and Bret, having had enough with dating in the Pacific Northwest, tries his luck here with this Mid-Atlantic league.Tender moments unfold for John and Bret. The rookies are also brought together by a ragtag team of oddball wrestlers who, lonely themselves, know what all boys know: deep down, we all just want to be held.