I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.) Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home. I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. Read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.

Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's 'Love is Always Write' event. Although the two men stand only casually close together, the sailor in front has one hand raised, over his shoulder, to keep a firm grip on the shirt of the man in the doorway behind him. He grins, squinting in the brightness, dressed in the white hat and shirt of the WWII US Navy. His attractiveness is more the flush of youth and good health than perfection of features. The man in front of him is younger still. His eyes are narrowed against the sunlight and a small smile hovers on his lips as he braces himself in the doorframe. The one inside the doorway is young and classically handsome, hatless, with wavy dark hair falling over his forehead. Photo Description: Two young men stand in the riveted steel doorway of a ship.

Now, as our time together inevitably gets shorter and shorter, I can’t wait any longer for the right to finally marry the man I’ve loved all these years. And against all odds, and the many risks involved, we fell in love and have managed to stay together for the last 60 years. We met onboard, both of us so very young - still in our teens - but we were old enough to serve our country.

Into Deep Waters by Kaje Harper