This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the on-screen creation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's fascinating world, brought to life by screenwriter and director Richard LaGravenese. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

    Now she must trust her fate to an enemy who has hunted her people or the entire world will end. Night Play How does a wolf convince a human to trust him with her life when his enemies are out to end his? In the world of the Were-Hunters, it really is dog-eat-dog. And only one alpha male can win. Seize the Night To win against evil, Val will have to loosen up, learn to trust, and put everything on the line to protect a man he hates and a woman who drives him crazy, in every way possible…

    The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.PRINCE OF THORNS, KING OF THORNS and EMPEROR OF THORNS are a remarkable new trilogy by one of fantasy fiction’s newest rising stars. Together, they weave a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paint a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.

    Now his life and fate are in the hands of a human who threatens his very existence. But Maggie isn’t just anyone. She’s the daughter of a prominent senator. Dark Side of the Moon Born into a world of predators, Ravyn was betrayed by everyone he knew. Now with the ultimate battle about to begin, one very human woman holds the power to shatter all worlds.

    "You must never leave the nursery. If you leave, you will certainly die."Tick and Polly have never met their parents before. They live in the same house with them, they dream about them every night, they share the same flesh and blood, yet for some reason their parents have never found the time to visit them even once since they were born. Living in a dark corner of their parents' vast crumbling mansion, the children long for the day when they will finally be held in their mother's loving arms for the first time... But that day seems to never come. They worry their parents have long since forgotten about them.When the machines that provide them with food and water stop functioning, the children are forced to venture out of the nursery to find their parents on their own. But the rest of the house is much larger and stranger than they ever could have imagined. The maze-like hallways are dark and seem to go on forever, deranged creatures lurk in every shadow, and the bodies of long-dead children litter the abandoned storerooms. Every minute out of the nursery is a constant battle for survival. And the deeper into the house they go, the more they must unravel the mysteries surrounding their past and the world they've grown up in, if they ever hope to meet the parents they've always longed to see.Like a survival horror rendition of "Flowers in the Attic," Carlton Mellick III's "Quicksand House" is his most gripping and sincere work to date.

    But before all that, he fought the terrifying Bonewind, a supernatural being that devours life itself, and he did it all without leaving his house. "Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day" was the story that first introduced the necromancer of some little infamy back in 2004. Long out of print, it makes its belated return on Hallowe'en, of course.

    However, Elric's empire is crumbling before him and now his envious cousin and prince of Melniboné, Yyrkoon, plots to claim the Ruby Throne for himself.      Yet when Elric's people come under the threat of a pirate attack, Elric believes that he can once again restore his authority and regain their faith by defeating the pirates. However, the true cost of this task will force him to reveal his allegiance to the dark Arioch, the most dominant of the Lords of Chaos...

    The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns are the first two books in a remarkable new trilogy by one of fantasy fiction’s newest rising stars. Together, they weave a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paint a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.

    The young Cabal investigates, even though this requires him to don red tights, a curling moustache, and become... the Demon King.Back in 2006, "Exeunt Demon King" was the second Johannes Cabal story published. It has long been out of print. So, buy your wine gums and Kia-Ora in the foyer, find your seat in the dress circle, and join Cabal as he hunts the evil that haunts the Alhambra Theatre.

    And then, when all seems lost and nothing can lift the darkness threatening to consume you, a stranger walks up to you and says he can restore all you have lost. What would you do? Could you resist that last glimmer of hope?This is the dilemma facing Mark Wiseman. While standing at his wife's graveside and looking down on her casket, a man tells him he can give her back to him. Should he let her go? Or should he accept the offer to be with his beloved once again? For such things carry a price and is it a price he is able to pay?

    THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE ALL MANKIND. THE ULTIMATE EVIL.The battle for souls has raged since the truce that followed the First Great War of the Angels. God has struck the ultimate blow and sacrifice to gain the advantage and defeat His fallen angel and estranged son, Lucifer. As Lucifer stands at the foot of the Cross that drains the last ounce of life from Christ and eradicates man's sins, he realises that his work must begin anew.In time, he comes to understand that his only chance to win this battle will be to destroy the institution of the Catholic Church to turn man against God, once and for all. He searches for more than a millennium for the candidate to see his plan through to an end and finally discovers the one that can cast that final blow.On a cold night in December 1431 in Sighisoara an old gypsy woman delivers a prophecy to the great Vlad Dracul. She tells him he is about to sire two sons, one an angel and the other a devil.He returns to his fortress just as his wife bears him a son, whom he names Vlad. In the very same moment across the country on the border between Transylvania and Hungary a gypsy girl gives birth to another son, Andrei. The die is cast. The twin souls are born. The young Vlad Dracula becomes the instrument of the forces of Darkness. To balance this, the baby Andrei is blessed by the angels and bestowed with awesome powers.This is their story.

    Well, perhaps not that kindly.

    He'll do anything for her...at least he believes that. But all it takes is one shattering moment to change a belief; a few nights is more than enough to kill the belief. The world Thomas knows changes one night when he gets a phone call. It's Keziah. She's hurt. She's scared. She needs him. He gets Keziah home, but the horror has just begun. From that moment a darkling world embraces him. Keziah believes she has been bitten by a vampire. Thomas doesn't believe it. At first. But when one belief dies, it's because a new one is forming. As he fights to discount her story, Thomas tries to nurse her back to health, but it isn't working. He can no longer ignore the truth. She isn't solely Keziah anymore. Heartbroken, maddened, and hollow, Thomas has to make a difficult choice. Accept what his girlfriend has become or turn against her. Both choices demand a high price, but which is Thomas willing to pay?

    — one of the original publishers of paper roleplaying games and has been in business for over 30 years. Chaosium is famous for the excellence of its game designs, and has won many Adventure Gaming Industry awards.All you need to play Call of Cthulhu for the first time is this Quick-Start guide, some polyhedral dice, plenty of imagination and your friends.Welcome to the worlds of Call of Cthulhu!

    Born in England, Kim Wilkins is the author of over 20 novels for readers of all ages. Her debut novel The Infernal won two Aurealis Awards. Her latest books, contemporary epic romances, are published under the pseudonym Kimberley Freeman, and include Lighthouse Bay and Wildflower Hill. Kim Wilkins is a four-times winner of the Aurealis Award, twice winner of the Sassy Award for popular fiction, and winner of the Romantic Book of the Year award. The book collects 5 novellas, comprising two written especially for this collection and 2 reprints and the first print publication of "Wild Dreams of Blood."

    Louis for the North Country even sooner than he expected to go. At seventeen, along with a female companion and an elderly father figure, he is literally running for his life.With the law pursuing him and the wilderness unforgiving, he finds himself caught up in a survival system that has nothing to do with civilization or laws.Then the unthinkable happens, the love of his life is taken from him. It is during the pursuit of her captors that Luke finds a strength and determination that will shape his moral existence for the remainder of his life.This is a trilogy of books that spans the lives of Luke McKinney and Breanne Bruyere, their undying love, through hell and high water, for over fifty years.Daring, thrilling, romantic, historic... What else is there? UNFORGETABLE!

    Publisher's Note: This book is a newly edited and combined version of three previously self published stories. It contains elements of power exchange and explicit scenes. If such material offends you, please do not purchase.

    In the past year he has broken up with his fiancee, barely survived a terrible car wreck, and had his brother's family vanish while he lay unconscious in the hospital. All they left behind was a frantic call on his cell phone's voice messages, and a blurry photo of a spider. Since then he has been a crippled shell going through the motions of life with nothing but the search for his brother to keep him going. But Adam is about to discover that things can still take a turn for the worse. Much worse. His quest for his brother has brushed up against a very dark corner of the world and something has come out of that darkness with an unholy vengeance. Something unbelievable. He can't fight it, he can't hide from it, and not even the police can protect him as his world descends into chaos. His only hope lies in a mysterious pair of strangers who have appeared out of nowhere with an offer of aid. But they have their own agenda, and his survival may not be their top priority. Now Adam must keep his wits about him and learn to believe in himself again as events send him on a collision course with a monster more horrific than he ever dreamed possible.

    Her second mistake was actually doing it.When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.

    Sixteen year old skate punk squatting in a white-trash trailer park with my loser drunk Dad. Seems I lost most of my friends when Dad lost our home in foreclosure. Only Anita stuck by me. Worse, I keep having strange clairvoyant visions of things that always come true.Then I almost ran over Nadia in my Geo. A passing truck finished the job – left a crumpled heap of skin and bone on the road. I fixed her. Me.Now this fourteen year old girl won’t leave me alone. I sorta let her sneak in my window when she needs a place to crash.I have a double life: daytime at school, Anita, skating, and then my nights with Nadia. She's my secret friend, gives me money and listens to my problems when nobody else will.My world is spinning out of control. Old friends have turned enemy, my grisly visions of death won’t quit, and Anita’s intentions make my head spin. Even with all that, I’ve got bigger stuff to worry about.Nadia’s hiding something.

    A girl is born who might end their dominion, but only if a fearsome warrior protects her from the demons of the Nine Hells.An infamous warlord, Tyrus of Kelnor helped demons conquer a continent, but the birth of a princess tests his loyalties. The child is marked for death, and her fate is in his hands. Old memories haunt him, from before the sorcery and monsters, when honor and service had value. Torn between the empress he loves and the emperor he serves, he defies the empire he helped build.

    These stories make Vykers seem like a god; he is a man, an arrogant, ruthless and bloodthirsty man. And he may be the only thing standing between the human race and utter annihilation at the hands of the mad sorcerer whose name is also his only goal: the End of All Things. Against this backdrop, smaller, lesser folks struggle to fulfill their own destinies, folks like Long Pete, the former gigolo and jack-of-all trades, and Spirk Nessno, the enigmatic, over enthusiastic simpleton. Struggling, too, is the Mender, Aoife, burdened with a secret so dark she is driven to do the unimaginable. Can Tarmun Vykers save them all, or will he simply hasten their demise?Are you a fan of Grimdark, Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, Glen Cook or George R. R. Martin? You will love this book!The author does not recommend this book for anyone under the age of seventeen, due to violence and mature language and themes.

    Absorbing, resonant, emotionally satisfying and quite magical' - Stephen Volk 'Eloquent, shimmering writing unfurls a haunting story of childhood, grief and obsession' – Simon Clark'I adored every line. I can’t recommend it highly enough... Book of the Year!' - The Eloquent Page ‘The Electric is an impressive first novel. Andrew David Barker’s style is whimsical and nostalgic, and the work reads like the haziest recollections of a childhood long since gone.’- Starburst Magazine‘The Electric is more than a book – just as its namesake is more than a cinema – it’s an experience to dive into and wallow in. It’s a link to the past and a way to think about what’s really important about life. Its heart beats beautiful pulses of nostalgia and grief, but it is full of affirmation too: the joy of discovery; the value of insight; the depths of friendship, love and family ties, and the powerful cement of a shared experience.’- Geek SyndicateIn the summer of 1985, fifteen-year-old Sam Crowhurst discovers an old abandoned cinema that screens movies made by ghosts, for ghosts. Sam, along with his friends, Emma and David, find themselves drawn into a world where the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney and Theda Bara are still making pictures; where Harold Lloyd and John Belushi team up for roustabout comedies, and Karloff and Lugosi appear in films scripted by Edgar Allan Poe. Sam comes to learn the mysteries of the Electric cinema and his part to play in its long and strange history. With shades of Ray Bradbury, the more nostalgic work of Stephen King, and the early films of Steven Spielberg, THE ELECTRIC is about movies, ghosts, and that ephemeral moment in all of our lives, childhood.

    Once her words get under your skin, they are there to stay.’ - Angela Slatter, British Fantasy Award-winning author of Sourdough and Other StoriesTable of ContentsIntroductionWhat Amanda WantsHornCaution: Contains Small PartsThe Home for Broken DollsWhat Are the Twelve Planets?The Twelve Planets are twelve boutique collections by some of Australia’s finest short story writers. Varied across genre and style, each collection offers four short stories and a unique glimpse into worlds fashioned by some of our favourite storytellers. Each author has taken the brief of four stories and up to 40 000 words in their own direction. Some are quartet suites of linked stories. Others are tasters of the range and style of the writer. Each release will bring something unexpected to readers.Nightsiders by Sue IsleLove and Romanpunk by Tansy Rayner RobertsThief of Lives by Lucy SussexBad Power by Deborah BiancottiShowtime by Narrelle M HarrisThrough Splintered Walls by Kaaron WarrenCracklescape by Margo LanaganAsymmetry by Thoraiya DyerCaution: Contains Small Parts by Kirstyn McDermottSecret Lives by Rosaleen LoveThe Female Factory by Lisa L. Hannett and Angela SlatterCherry Crow Children by Deborah Kalin

    Torture. Murder. Now that "the Commander" set his sights on Jewels, he will stop at nothing to possess the sexy, independent woman. His plan is foolproof. Cleverly elaborate. Insanely detailed. Criminally brilliant. Downright sadistically twisted. Jewels will be his, one way or another. Or will she? Violently captured and held prisoner in the remote mountains of Utah by a radical militia, Jewels’ defensive handgunning expertise, journalism experience, and strong-willed personality could either help or hinder her chances of survival. An ally would almost guarantee her escape. But whom should she trust? The FBI agent who had been hounding her for a date since the death of her husband? The rough-handed handsome he-man designated to keep her imprisoned? The militia’s kind-eyed doctor? Or...? Will she make the right choice in time to be spared the savage mutilation her captor ... the mysterious Commander ... has planned for her? Or will mistaken trust lead to her torturous demise?

    Once he was a skilled gamer and expert in virtual warfare. Now he’s a broken warrior, emerging from a medically induced coma to discover he’s inhabiting two separate realities. The first is his waking world of pain, family trials, and remorse—and slow rehabilitation through the tender care of Becky, his physical therapist. The second is a dark fantasy realm of quests, demons, and magic that Freddie enters when he sleeps.In his dreams he is Frederick, Prince of Stormwind, who must make sense of his horrific visions in order to save his embattled kingdom from the monstrous Horde. His only solace awaits him in the royal gardens, where the gentle words of the beautiful gardener, Rebecca, calm the storms in his soul. While in the conscious world, the severely wounded vet faces a strangely similar and equally perilous mission—a journey along a dark road haunted by demons of guilt and memory—and letting patient, loving Becky into his damaged and shuttered heart may be his only way back from Hell.

    When he becomes the first to survive an apparent vampire attack, Evan Conroy enlists the help of his best friends to find a rational explanation for the paranormal activity. But every answer unearths more questions, leading to the discovery that all is not as it seems. Dissonant is a 15,000 word standalone story that takes place 20 years before the events of The Eyes of The Sun.

    Danger looms ahead for her friends. Pressured out of their homes in the Lost Winds, every step threatens them with persecution and death. Taking a daring route on a treacherous sea, they seek asylum in a new land. Will they make it to their destination? Will Nalia's dream of finding peace in Draviland become the utopia that she desperately desires, or are the dangers of this new land even worse than her home? Set in a real-time, stream-of-consciousness narrative, this story takes you on a sweeping literary journey.

    A child discovers why you should always stay in bed if you wake up in the middle of the night. A homeowner unpacks the wrong bag of groceries, and comes to suspect his neighbors might have secrets that he doesn’t want to know. A cable shopping channel presenter is confronted with disgruntled customers from a *very* long way out of town ... and a man sets himself to rid the world of one of its most famous lies, and winds up destroying himself instead.Michael Marshall Smith’s last short story collection was hailed as “stellar” by Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) and a “major publishing event” by Ellen Datlow, and it won the International Horror Guild Award. You’re invited to return to the short fiction of New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Michael Marshall Smith: it is Everything You Need.

    She does this not only because they had killed so many people in her life, but because she has an edge that no other human had…she has their abilities. However, these abilities were killing her and she feared time was no longer on her side. So the moment she found out that Darius, a nostvore leader, was threatening to awaken an indestructible species to help him enslave all humans and mythlends, and that she may be the key to his plan, Kira knew her only choice was to risk her life with the little time that she had left. It meant joining her enemy to find out why, and making sure his plan failed. If that wasn’t dangerous enough, the more time she spends with the Vanatre nostvore, Emmerich, and the mooran, Kuron, who she brings with her for protection, the less she wants to kill them. Instead, she feels an unexplainable attraction toward them both, and she fears surrendering to such desire with either is a deadly game to play, since she would not only be risking her life, but quite possibly her heart.

    She opens a bookstore and makes new friends. Life is simple--that is until the dead body washes up on shore. Linda is horrified to find that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are common for this small town. As soon as the sun sets, the residents and tourists are stalked by dark shadows. But this is only the beginning.Linda and her friends receive an unsigned invitation to a party at a deserted house. They are pursued through revolving rooms and dangerous traps, barely escaping with their lives. Two of their own remain trapped in the house. Or so they think.They must embark on a difficult journey, chased by unnatural creatures, not knowing whom to trust, to uncover the one controlling the game and everyone in town. Who are The Dead? Are they humans or vampires? Or a combination of both? Will there be an end to their evil game? Will Linda and Todd find love? Will a second book be needed?The Dead Game has begun.

    Taking a much-needed trip to the coast, Dorian finds himself intrigued by two old men playing a peculiar game of chess along the pier. However, it isn’t long before he finds himself caught up in a long-standing family feud, and becomes embroiled in a far greater game… Note: The Confessions of Dorian Gray contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.Cast: Alexander Vlahos (Dorian Gray), Hugh Ross (The Montagues) Technical Details Written By: Nev FountainDirector: Scott HandcockSound Design: Neil GardnerMusic: James DunlopCover Art: Stuart ManningDuration: 30' approxProduction Code: BFPDGDL09Recorded Dates: 27 April 2013Recorded At: The Moat Studios

    Doomed to wander the multiverse, battered by the whims of Law and Chaos, in thrall to his soul-eating sword, Stormbringer, Elric lies at the heart of Michael Moorcock's extraordinary mythology of the Eternal Champion.If you know his story already, then this definitive edition will finally let you read the entire saga in the author's preferred order. If you've never experienced the chronicles of the albino with the soul-sucking sword, then this is the perfect place to start.

    A collection of timeless tales featuring the Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion Felix Jaeger. From the undead-ridden marshes of Hel Fenn, where an ancient evil lurks, to the court of a skaven lord in the depths of a dwarf hold, the duo face excitement, danger and intrigue at every turn.

    If he wins she’ll watch her brother die.Sworn enemies and former lovers must hunt the same enemy with different agendas. Alex Noziak, part-witch; part-shaman must save her brother before warlock Bran eliminates the only man who knows where her brother is hidden.The IR Agency’s new recruits, each with unique if untested abilities, are brought deeper into the world of the preternaturals as their governing body, the Council of 7, is caught in a dangerous and vicious feud between Weres and Shifters.But when Alex has a chance to save her brother and capture the Weres who held him hostage disaster happens.

    The last resident of a mental institution discovers he's not alone. A middle-schooler performs an experiment to determine how much time we fit in dreams. Boys looking for wonder find more than they're expecting in the Adirondacks with Charles Fort. A detective learns everything he's ever wanted to know...and some things he hasn't. In Will Ludwigsen's short stories of strangeness and mystery, the universe has a way of being weird in just the ways we need it to be. There are answers to many of our deepest questions...and they're usually far more personal than we expect. What are you in search of? And what is in search of you?

    Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V'sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior's heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen's lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?

    Posing as a common labourer, he struggles to hide from his lover, his best friend, the authorities – and his past.But beneath the garbage of the backstreets he discovers a new horror: a trail of gruesome bodies, gnawed on by demons, and left gift-wrapped for him to find. Someone is brutally murdering people from his past, and threatening to finish with his lover, Gisayne. What dark secret from Alloran's youth cripples his ability to fight back?In a world where hellcats stalk the shadows, and a flaming demon lays waste to the citadel of the wizards, Alloran must risk losing himself to a powerful addiction, or abandon Gisayne to hell.Also including bonus story 'A Magical Melody'.When a lethal spell is stolen from a locked and warded room, Avram must hunt down the thief before the song of power buries a city of innocents beneath a thousand tonnes of ice.

    Ramanga, Lamia, Metusba, and Lugat have been overshadowed by what humans know as the modern vampire. But what if vampires aren't the real threat?One woman's search for her mother who disappeared without a trace on the streets of Minneapolis takes her into the precarious world of Deamhan, psychic vampires who rule the underground nightlife in the city's most darkest corners.She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it s her own father, president of a ruthless organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust.

    Before she can locate the murderers, she has to discover their motives for the brutal crime and finds herself at the epicenter of a Buddhist mystery as old as time. With the help of her companion, Detective Desmond Gisborne, she hunts the killers across the globe and discovers a darkness in her spiritual past that tests the very limits of her soul. Soon she realizes that it is not she who is doing the hunting, but the one being hunted. Kelsey must find a way to survive, while ancient demons attempt to destroy her.

     But when word of a strange assassination plot reaches her ears, Caina faces a new kind of danger. For there are other ways to kill than swords and knives... ABOUT THE AUTHOR Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas. He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. Visit his website at: http://www.jonathanmoeller.com Visit his technology blog at: http://www.computerbeginnersguides.com

    He just wanted a relaxing month off between jobs so he could explore the city of Lovat, enjoy a soft bed and a few decent meals. Instead, he’s arrested—accused of killing old friends and hacking off body parts.Escaping custody and on the run, Wal becomes a citywide fugitive fighting to clear his name. As the body count rises, a shadowy assassin emerges as the true killer, and the trail begins to grow more and more bizarre.The Stars Were Right combines mysteries and monsters, chases and cults, and an ancient evil in a world that is similar but not quite like our own.

    Lio is joined in his day-to-day exploits by his exasperated and sleep-deprived father, a pet snake named Frank, a squid named Ishmael, and various imaginary robots and creepy, crawly monsters. Within this humorously macabre framework of sarcasm, parody, and high jinks, sidesplitting laughter abounds—all without so much as a word.

    And sometimes, you get up to find everything has changed: An ordinary man who sees his face in a tabloid newspaper. A soldier haunted by the images of those he has killed from afar. Two petty criminals on the run from a punishment more implacable than either of them can imagine. Doppelgangers both real and imaginary. A tranquil English village where those who don't fit in really aren't welcome, and a strange hotel where second chances are allowed... at a price.Ten stories of unease, fear and the weird from James Everington.

    Riley calls [The Birthright] 'a daring and sensual read that you will devour in one sitting.'***Destiny. Death. And a birthright of blood.Drugged and abducted shortly before her eighteenth birthday, Kat Forst is dragged halfway across the world. She doesn't know why... or how. She doesn't know anything. Except that she's not alone. her best friends have been taken as well. And that's her fault.Because their kidnapper wasn't after them all.No. He only wanted Kat.Because her blood is the key to the magic of Chios. Her death will re-awaken what has been lost for so long.But Kat isn't exactly ready to die. Not without a fight anyways.And the fact that her captor is gorgeous and covered with glittering, magical tattoos won't distract her from staying alive... she hopes.***The Birthright is over 100,000 words of standalone supernatural mystery with sensuality, mythology, and a touch of horror.

    Discover critically acclaimed authors that will make your skin shiver and have you flinching at bumps in the night. Whenever the mood strikes for something creepy, this collection will leave you looking over your shoulder.

    Supernatural or human, he's faced all kinds. But when he's called upon to investigate a missing child, he may have met his match. Children are vanishing, not just from the streets, but from their parents' memories. Max's investigation leads him to a gang of neo-Nazi vampires running a child slavery ring. There, he comes face to face with the deadliest enemy he's ever met, their charismatic and powerful leader Boone. Running low on hope and options to find the missing children, Max turns to his friends for help. But even they aren't enough. Forced to face the darkness of his own past, Max forges an alliance with the least likely ally of all. An enemy whose cruelty was almost his end, and haunts him still. For mature readers, 18+.

    22 writers...honing each splinter into a story of triumph and decay, arrogance and humility. Stories of the brightest lights and the darkest corners of the weirdest minds. 22 cross-genre worlds. 22 portals into the Universal. Only one way to get there. Come with us. Cross the portals. The Universal awaits.

    We try to keep the gates closed by falling in love, travelling, avoiding responsibility, getting drunk, taking drugs… anything to lose ourselves. But the dull ache remains in each of us.These stories are about the gates opening.’~ Kaaron WarrenThe Gate Theory holds five tales by award-winning Australian author Kaaron Warren, introduced by award-winning Australian author Amanda J Spedding.Each story resonates with the pain of living.

    Besides a booming chemical plant, the only thing that characterizes this dismal town is dirt, sagebrush, and an enormous abandoned mansion. The mansion is, admittedly, the only notable addition to Trona, but it’s something everyone tries to avoid due to its creepy facade. Everyone except for Camm Smith, who is obsessed with the need to get inside.Seven years earlier, as Camm herded a pack of little trick-or-treaters past the mansion, her young neighbor, Hugh, disappeared, becoming just one of many children who have vanished from Trona over the years without a trace. Now a senior in high school, Camm is still haunted by the old tragedy and is sure the answer to the mysterious disappearances lies hidden somewhere in the decaying mansion. Joining forces with her best friend, Cal, who also happens to be Hugh’s older brother, Camm naively begins a perilous search for the truth.As things spiral quickly out of control, and others die, Camm and Cal discover it will take all their combined ingenuity to stay alive. An unseen creature, lurking deep within the bowels of the mansion, seems to have supernatural powers and is now hunting them. Making matters worse, they become entangled with hostile federal agents, who care only about keeping old secrets permanently hidden. Left with only their wit and seemingly ineffective firearms, they know they are running out of time. Unless they can make sense out of the few pieces of the puzzle they manage to unearth, the monster will certainly destroy them, and like so many others before them, they will be gone without a trace.

    Sixteen years old, Caina is a student of the Ghosts, the spies and agents of the Emperor of Nighmar, and from them she learns the arts of stealth and infiltration, of disguise and intrigue.But when a man dies of a mysterious poison, Caina faces a deadly test.Because if she doesn't solve the murder, she might die next...

    In just a few hours, she's survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a man she both desires and fears.For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago, Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death. In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts. . .where passion can last forever, if you're willing to pay the price. . .Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control. . .Sick of wrongful-death lawsuits every time a full moon comes around? Call the Underworld Detection Agency.As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny. . .Sick of wrongful-death lawsuits every time a full moon comes around? Call the Underworld Detection Agency.As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny. . .

    He was a hero and a legend, the greatest knight of the age. But his most trusted friends betrayed him to the swords of infidels, and his goddess abandoned him, denying him Paradise.In death Breskaro refused to fade into Oblivion, like lesser lost souls. Instead he wandered the Shadowland for seven years until the dark goddess Harmulkot offered him the one thing only she could give, the one thing that still mattered to him... A chance to save his precious Orisala from a fate worse than his own.Returned as a wreck of embalmed flesh animated by sorcery, with a host of the desperate and the undead under his command, Breskaro will do whatever it takes to save Orisala, no matter the odds and no matter the consequences.David Alastair Hayden returns to the exotic land of Pawan Kor, first seen in Wrath of the White Tigress, with this seductive epic of swords and sorcery in the tradition of Brent Weeks, Robin Hobb, Michael Moorcock, and David Gemmell.

    But her mentor, the sexy, perfect Parker destroys her dreams of a new start. Soon, Claire devotes her newfound psychic powers to helping abused women.Drawn to the mysterious and handsome Andre, another master in the London Circle and Parker's archrival, Claire enters into a passionate clandestine affair which causes her powers to ramp out of control. Wild, sensual sex morphs into something deeper and, for Claire, terrifying. Andre soon discovers her abilities and realizes he is her trigger--the one vampire in the world who can help her control her spiraling powers. Bonding with him requires Claire to trust and accept his love, two things she cannot bring herself to do. The gift of love is something her past won't allow her to accept. Even so, Andre will have to reach her in time to save her life or stake her when her powers drive her insane.

    Each story is set in a different time and place. Some will be familiar, others will not. So, strip bare your assumptions, open your mind and see these tales told like never before. As a slave in the bawdy Black House, Rella longs to escape the whips and chains of her existence. She is chosen for a dangerous mission and offered a chance at freedom. There is only one condition: first she must assassinate the Prince. Quote: "Death by god or death by man... but never as a sister of the Black House!" Please note that this is a short-fiction piece (approx. 28 pages or 10k words) and only a taste of things to come... (Suggested for Mature Readers)"Cinders" has a follow-up story called "Anastasia" which adds a little more background to the Sisters of The Black House.

    And Mila's blood was some of the rarest and most coveted, the most arousing, regal…powerful. Yet, she lives alone; hiding in America since childhood as a refugee of a great den war, having already watched everyone she's ever cared about die around her. She refuses to give into the urges of her wolf blood and allow herself to change, especially as she would then become a beacon to the wolf that, years ago as a child, marked her against her will. And worse, she would want to be found. Becoming the wolf could mean losing the will of her own heart. Still, she is done running and ready to take a stand. When Landon wanders onto her property hunting the wolves responsible for his parents' death, she allows the wounded human to recover in her home against her better judgment. They soon discover they share a common enemy, and an attraction unlike anything the strong, stubborn and powerful young blueblood has ever experienced. But when the looming battle descends upon them, they must both learn to trust each other if they want to survive.This is an adult book, not recommended for young readers.

    Jacob's intention is to enjoy Braketon's woods and water for the first time as a free man, but he soon discovers that Dover isn't through with him yet. Driven by a curse that compels him to grant any wish he hears, Jacob is drawn back into his disturbing former life by a young boy's desire to see his own father dead.Complicating things are Lori Nelson, Jacob's friend-with-benefits who continues to put new boyfriends in his path, and Motown, Jacob's friend from his years at Dover, who carries a secret that rocks Jacob's foundation and makes him question his own morality.Stonefly is a suspense thriller that rockets to a surprising, but satisfying end. Stay tuned for the second book in the series, entitled Broken Horizon.

    She stocks up supplies, boards up windows, and hunkers down to wait out the storm, but her plan unravels when she witnesses a car accident. Risking her life, she braves the winds to save the driver. Just when she believes they are safe, she finds out the man she saved could possibly be more dangerous than the severe weather.Donovan Goldwyn only wanted to hide from the police, but the hurricane shoved his car into a tree. Now he's trapped with a beautiful woman while the evidence that can prove his innocence to a brutal crime is out there for anyone to find.As Hurricane Sabrina wreaks havoc, Beth has no other choice but to trust Donovan to stay alive. But will she survive, or will she become another hurricane crime?Content Warning: police brutality, violence, gun violence, animal death, snakeHeat Rating: Medium (sexual tension/behind-closed-doors)Disaster Crimes Series:Hurricane Crimes (#1)Seismic Crimes (#2)Lightning Crimes (#2.5 free story)Tsunami Crimes (#3)Flaming Crimes (#4)Frozen Crimes (#5)A Fighting Chance (#6, spin-off)The Disaster Curse (#7, short)

    Powered by steam and clockwork, Mainspring has enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity … until, from a far-away land known as The Keep of Keys, Hieronymus Ebauche unleashes Hell. Born of a long-forgotten vendetta, Ebauche transports his clockwork demons through a trans-dimensional portal to exact his revenge. Mainspring's only hope – Nathan Gage and Olivia Nightingale; the proprietors of the Klockwerk Kabaret, where desire is brought to life with flesh and clockwork. When the doors to the Kabaret close, Gage and Nightingale slip into the shadows as vigilante crime fighters. The fight leads them to The Keep of Keys where they discover a much darker truth. As the clock winds down, so too does the hope of Mainspring.

    The result is an adventure filled with magic, spaceships and a diverse and interesting cast of characters.

    Seizing upon the possibility of a reunion with his closest comrade from the trenches, Dorian arrives in the capital city of Scotland on Halloween! Guisers are out in force, disapproving gentlemen walk the streets… and a sinister department store has a great deal more on offer than it might initially advertise.

    As the fight grows and friends are lost, will Esa choose right from wrong or will her own inner demons triumph?

    Fearing an eternity of punishment, he desperately attempts to save himself by sending a bird to his island. The SOS message is received by his beloved congregation. They prepare the great Armaros’ kingdom for his return. Can his loyal worshipers rescue him from the pit?Halo of the Nephilim is the sequel to Halo of the Damned. The story begins with Armaros’ arrest. Reporters are duped into believing he was gunned down while awaiting trial. Declared dead, his only known surviving daughter, Joanna Easterhouse, proves her relation and inherits everything. She catapults her career from an entry-level advertising assistant to the head of Armaros’ advertising empire. Life couldn’t be better: a windfall inheritance, real power within a major industry, a loving relationship with a former demon, and a baby on the way. She should be on top of the world, but knows everything good must come to an end.Joanna’s sister, Kim Easterhouse, becomes Kim Slattery after marrying Sean, her dead mother’s probate lawyer. Joanna generously includes them as key players in her advertising chain. They, too, have much to smile about, but a string of events leads them back to old family secrets.Wickedness looms over the Easterhouse family once more, forcing them into an unlikely showdown filled with page-turning excitement. Like Halo of the Damned, Halo of the Nephilim is filled with conspiracy and angel lore taken directly from scripture and other ancient writings. Nephilim meander the earth in confusion, constantly questioning who they are and where they stand in terms of good and evil. More mind control themes top off this tale of doom. Dina Rae delivers the darkness in the most entertaining light.

    Gothic art has surged in popularity over recent years, fuelled by the Twilight phenomenon, then cool TV series such as True Blood, Vampire Diaries and My Babysitter's a Vampire and bestselling games cards from Wizards of the Coast. The Hunger Games generation is fascinated by gothic themes and this fantastic new book brings together the hottest new talent with classic gothic artists such as Aly Fell, Anne Stokes, Alex Horley, Jasmine Beckett-Griffith and Brom, to create an explosive, imaginative tour-de-force. With digital and traditional paintings and photo art, and a fascinating discussion of the gothic, this is a must-have read for anyone interested in the slightly darker, anarchic side of art.

    Now working at a low-grade burger joint, he feels his life is empty and devoid of meaning - until one morning Death arrives and makes him an offer he can't refuse. Printed edition: The Journeyman (UK, 2018).

    I may have thrown another fairy tale or two into the mix...

    Summoned by the daughter of an old friend, Dorian finds himself confronted by the actions of his past… and a familiar picture that holds a dreadful secret. But can he stop history from repeating itself, or is it already far too late?Voiced by: Alexander Vlahos (Dorian Gray), Katharine Mangold (Kayla Grant)Note: The Confessions of Dorian Gray contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.

    The Esoterrorists introduces the GUMSHOE rules system, which revolutionizes investigative scenarios by ensuring that players are never deprived of the crucial clues they need to move the story forward.Upgrades, Improvements and New Content for the 2nd Edition:This new edition of The Esoterrorists is 4 times longer and allows you to:* Equip your characters with fine-grained investigative abilities, ranging from Interrogation and Data Retrieval to the ever-popular Forensic Entomology and always useful Bullshit Detector.* Round them out with 13 crucial action abilities, which help you fight, run away, and retain your mental stability when the horrors come knocking.* Absorb the latest, in-depth intelligence data on the terrifying world of the Esoterrorists.* Learn the never-before-revealed inner workings of the Ordo Veritatis, the secret international agency that sends you out to smash the foe.* Recoil at raw reports detailing all-new creatures of unremitting horror.* Root yourself in a site of small town menace with the new Station Duty campaign frame and scenario.* Confront fever dreams of the apocalypse in a brand new introductory scenario, OPERATION: PROPHET BUNCO!Also included, for gamemasters:* Data on the terrifying world of the Esoterrorists, and the Ordo Veritatis, the benevolent global conspiracy that fights them* Creatures of unremitting horror.* Detailed instructions on structuring investigative scenarios for the innovative GUMSHOE system* Advice on bringing those scenarios to life in play* Operation Slaughterhouse, an advanced example scenario of geopolitical horrorThe Esoterrorists is easy to learn, easy to play and replayable by design.Incorporating years of advice, actual play experience, and design evolution, The Esoterrorists Enhanced Edition includes all the rules you need to play the game that revolutionized investigative roleplaying. Dripping with ichor and jammed with content, this is the heftier, meatier, definitive tome gamers have been crying out for ever since they laid their paws on the original.

    Included in this volume are:SKELETON LAKESMITH: AN EPISODE IN A LODGING-HOUSEA SUSPICIOUS GIFTTHE EMPTY HOUSETHE LISTENERMAY DAY EVECARLTON'S DRIVEIF THE CAP FITS—THE MAN WHO PLAYED UPON THE LEAFOLD CLOTHESTHE ECCENTRICITY OF SIMON PARNACUTETHE GOLDEN FLYTHE TRANSFERTHE ATTICTHE GLAMOUR OF THE SNOWSANDH.S.H.A DESERT EPISODEBY WATERTHE GOBLIN'S COLLECTIONA BIT OF WOODAN EGYPTIAN HORNETCAIN'S ATONEMENTTHE OTHER WINGTHE DANCE OF DEATHTHE GARDEN OF SURVIVALA CASE OF EAVESDROPPINGCLAIRVOYANCEAnd don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more entries in this series, covering classic authors and subjects like mysteries, science fiction, westerns, ghost stories -- and much, much more!

    They pressed deeply into her flesh and hot surging pain erupted in her mind. She couldn’t scream. Mind turned blank and world spinning, Piper stood there, almost drowning in the rain, as the vamp girl drank from her.After the brutal murder of her father, Piper tried to escape the life of servitude under the iron fist of a vampire. But her small glimmer of freedom was shattered the moment fangs sunk into her throat.Trapped as a fanged freak, Piper was forced to run away from her past in order to survive the wrath of a bloodthirsty monster hunting her down. She thought she could keep it up for the rest of her immortal life, but that all changed when she was rescued by a blue eyed vampire and welcomed into a hidden world crawling with monsters and magic.

    That's what everyone called it "The end of the world." It sounds so final doesn't it? Maybe that's why people were so freaked out. Well, that and the monsters.The world is struck by a terrifying plague. Those who don't succumb are twisted into monsters from childhood nightmare. Only a tiny number, a fraction of a percent, are immune. Mankind, the dominant species on the planet for thousands of years, is reduced to hiding and cowering in the dark.Two children, tortured by their own illnesses, react differently. Their bodies change. The disease that destroys everyone else molds them into the only hope for human kind.This is the story of X. The Virus, The hope.

    Once the police gun him down, Jody Sayer, a serial killer, opts for a second chance at life, becoming something far more beastly and terrible than a cold-blooded killer. But other forces are at work, and in the battle that ensues, Armageddon is on the rise...

    Considered adolescent among her peers, she had yet to master her gift of precognition when her first vision came to pass; a captivating male whose destiny was intimately intertwined with her own. Yet he was not of angelic design. In fact, he was very far from it. Tragically, by the time Sera discovered this pivotal detail, he had already attained ownership of her heart. But not her ability to flee… A hundred years later and Cole Asteroth does whatever the hell he wants. When he’s not busy, that is, with ‘dirty deeds, done dirt cheap’ for his master. Ornery and sarcastic, he gets his kicks wreaking havoc in the human realm. Oh, and making very un-angelic women beg for his touch. Life is good… Until fate catches up with him. A few weak moments, one too many innocent visitations and the two are entangled all over again. But things are much more complicated now. And Cole no longer possesses much in the way of faith and forgiveness. As the estranged lovers struggle with what path to take, they quickly discover that destiny, too, is a reluctant second chance provider. As outside resistance and decadent captivity ensues, can their situation get any more exasperating?

    On the verge of adulthood, the sudden arrival of a forbidding housekeeper makes Dorian Gray’s life a living hell…Kew, 2012. Now converted into flats, Dorian’s family home has become a very real hell for his latest tenants, and the memories of his childhood are finally catching up with him… Note: The Confessions of Dorian Gray contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.Cast: Alexander Vlahos (Dorian Gray), Lalla Ward (Constance Harker), Geoffrey Breton (Brennan Doyle) Technical Details Written By: Scott HandcockDirector: Scott HandcockSound Design: Neil GardnerMusic: James DunlopCover Art: Stuart ManningDuration: 30' approxProduction Code: BFPDGDL10Recorded Dates: 13 April 2013Recorded At: The Moat Studios

    His victims – spending their time living their lives, going about their daily routines, oblivious to the fact they have been singled out, have been selected to participate in the End Game.Driven by a need even he doesn’t fully understand, the stalker is compelled to play his game until the very end, compelled to ensure he and his chosen Play Mate are locked together, as close as lovers, as the End Game concludes. It is his game. They are his rules.But what would happen if one of his victims refuses to play his game, refuses to abide by his rules. Would the End Game be completed, as dictated by the stalker’s primal urges, or would a new and even more sinister game be created?He watches, that’s what he does.Can you feel his eyes upon you?

     Yet when he accepts a contract to kill a renegade sorceress calling herself the Moroaica, Sicarion realizes he may have made a mistake. For what can an assassin do against a woman who has already died as many times as the Moroaica? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas. He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. Visit his website at: http://www.jonathanmoeller.com Visit his technology blog at: http://www.computerbeginnersguides.com

    It is a city on the edge of starvation, slowly succumbing to the creeping death that has choked off the rest of the world. When the leader of a nascent resistance movement is captured by the government, a nameless, brain-damaged thief is hired to rescue her. It's a suicide mission and he knows it, but it's a job he can't refuse. And if he can get her out, then what? Where do you go, when there is no place to go? How can you hide in a city tearing itself apart in a wholesale ethnic cleansing? What drives a man to keep fighting, when he knows the terrible truth the future holds? Angel Of The City is a story of hope and survival in a broken world.

    Fifteen year old Kara is certain that she's found Mr. Right and vows to meet him after one month of online chatting. Can you really know someone connected only by an internet connection? Or is love universal? After losing the love of his life to suicide, a man becomes a twisted vigilante against suicidal young girls. A fixed game of chance delivers his justice. Can true love break his cycle of death, or will a twist of fate let his crimes catch up with him?

    And easy is what she needed. But in the heart of Africa, she finds something so deadly it will test her in ways she never expected.When a fellow teammate is seriously injured at the hands of a North African djinn that escapes their ambush, Alex faces a hard choice. Go after this dangerous djinn, without the full support of her Invisible Recruit team, or allow this powerful creature of magic and darkness to continue to terrorize and kill more innocent humans. With only twenty-four hours to find and destroy the djinn, she has to throw caution to the wind to face him in his own territory. If she wins, he dies.Of course, there’s the other side that if he wins, she dies, or if he escapes again, she’ll have to leave her team and walk back into a prison.

    Size:A6.

    His father warned him never to mention the Box—nor pry into the secret chamber where it was kept. Now the Box has begun speaking to Leopold, begging him to find the key and undo the hateful locks. If he does so, it promises him to fulfill his every desire, even offering him the hand of the forbidden—and forbiddingly named— Lady Mary Bianca Domenica de Grassini Algarotti. However, before unfastening the third lock he catches a glimpse of something unspeakable inside—and turns to the only man who shared his father’s secret, the legendary Conjurer-Magician, Hildigrim Blackbeard. A man who, if the stories are true, will exact a terrible price in return for his service.

    After having served for decades as one of the elite High Guard in an underground vampire society, one fateful decision turns her from trusted bodyguard to criminal.Paris’ actions end in a death sentence and she finds herself in the human world, on the run from Garrett, an ancient assassin and the one man on the planet who knows her well enough to find her.As Paris tries to find her place in this new world, she encounters other vampires and humans who revel both in their frailty and their own monstrous natures. She soon learns that the larger issue is that she might not belong in this world after all. Not to mention the fact that the very man sent to destroy her is the only man she has ever loved.

    The council has been defeated. They can finally be together as they were destined to be. Unfortunately there is a big problem with his plan the bond has been severed. With Erick’s rebirth as Samuel, Chase uses him to track down Sarah. Years later they are reunited only for her to be ripped from his arms. Sarah’s souls is cleaned by the Hierarchy. Chase will never find her again. When his hopes of finding her soul again fail he beings to give up and settle in a rundown community where a large coven of vampires have gather. A hunter is on the loose and she means business. She is powerful taking out an entire coven in one day. She almost kills Chase when something happens between them and their fates change. Sarina was trained her entire life to destroy the evil in this world but when she meets Chase it is hard for her to do this. Then when she sees a photo of the woman he calls Sarah she suddenly realized what she must do. She must protect her daughter at all costs end this war once and for all. Her daughter will not have this life, the choices Sarina will make from that day forward are hers and hers alone.

    She, for one, is fascinated by the controversial work, until her mother dies and her father marries Anna van Burren, who brings two new sisters into the family. Cindy's misery only grows from there.Following her father’s untimely death, Cindy’s life spirals into darkness as she is forced to become a servant in her own home, to wait on her hated siblings and stepmother. She has become so sequestered that she can’t even let the one man she continues to think about know that she is alive.She met him once in the mortuary years ago - a handsome, curious boy who had been a surprise to her - until she'd discovered who he was. Now a man, Christian is a perfect specimen, and also the object of her step-sisters’ affections. According to a stipulation of his inheritance, he must marry before age twenty-one. That day is fast approaching. Any hope Cindy has of seeing him again – or of salvaging anything that should have been left of her life – seems lost. Cindy's world is filled with misfortune. She believes she must be cursed.It takes the appearance of a strange woman who brings a wicked prophecy before Cindy can see how blessed she could become – and to see what sacrifices were made to give her hope once again.

    Within these pages you’ll find stories that fuse all the elements of dark fiction.Sometimes, darkness is internal, generated by our minds or bodies. Sometimes, it’s due to external devices, such as monsters, shadows, or lurking dangers. A dark fantasy story requires an otherworld, an imaginary realm, a supernatural story requires a creature or event that exists beyond our natural universe, and a dark science fiction story revolves around science gone bad.Weird fiction lies on the boundaries of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. It creates a mood. At its best, it features dark, bizarre, and unexplained phenomena. Here, the monsters aren’t vampires, werewolves, or splatterpunk killers. Instead, something has violated the natural laws of reality, and the strange events of the story could happen. Darkness driven by the weird is particularly potent.Within these pages are tales of horror, twisted science and fantasy, and the weird: something for every dark appetite. Included in Dark Fusions: Where Monsters Lurk! are intensely weird stories, as well as traditional weird tales, dark science fiction, dark fantasy, and pure horror. Some of these stories will blow your mind. Others will just scare the hell out of you.

    Fear of the unknown, emotional intensity, and plain old creepiness will give you chills long after you have finished reading the seven stories in this collection.

    As war rages outside the town, an unlikely team of misfit orphans and spies takes on the local government and the vampires who control them. When the lantern is released and Lord Ruthven, the vampire trapped within it, descends on the town only an amnesiac Michael can stop him from destroying everyone in Breton. As the battle rages into the night, Michael must question himself over whether he should join the vampires or fight them in order to save the people of the town.

    Star and Satori are being hunted, and something is playing with their lives. Star found her power in another world, but will that be enough to save them? In a game of revenge, lovers and friends are moved around a cosmic chess board; death and madness are the final penalties for defeat. Who can judge whether the self-destructive human psyche or obsessed demon-child is the more dangerous force?

    A necromancer in the service of a fallen god leads an army of undead to extinguish all life. In the village of Briar's End, there are few survivors. They are scattered and hopelessly outnumbered, with dwindling options for sanctuary. Hidden away within their mountain temple, the gods are oblivious to the horror on their doorstep......and it's coming for them.Death Storm is book 1 in the Hungry Gods series, a Dark Fantasy Zombie Apocalypse that brings the nightmare of Armageddon to a high fantasy world.

    From mechanical spells scavenging a derelict starship to outback zombies and floating gardens of bone, these stories blur the lines between genres. A mix of freakish horror, dark visions of the future and the just plain weird, Anderton's tales will draw you in – but never let you get comfortable.Introduction — Kaaron WarrenThe Bone Chime Song Mah Song Shadow of DroughtSanaa’s ArmyFrom the Dry Heart to the SeaAlways a PriceOut Hunting for TeethDeath Masque Flowers in the shadow of the Garden A Memory Trapped in Light Trail of Dead Fence Lines Tied to the Waste

    Jenna should be having the time of her life at college. Instead, her one desire is survival. She lives in a world gone insane after a virus kills most of the population. Being alive after the apocalypse is bad, but when the undead return, hungry for humans, times turn darker. For Jenna and a small group of survivors, the goal is to reach the High Point Inn. At the inn, Jenna develops feelings for Caleb, who, while exotic and intoxicating, is not quite human. Will this new utopia last?

    Her ability to control minds in their hands could mean the destruction of the Kember and Drea race. Laced with speed, strength, and a physical ability, each Kember holds the key to not only defeat the Rygons, but to protect one Drea until death. But what happens when one who's born to protect, hunts instead? During a heated battle with a rogue Kember, Taylee's forced to run and let her own Kember-the man who raised her-face him alone. With the announcement of her protector's death, Taylee's anger and obsession regarding the mysterious murderer take over. She's hell-bent on bringing her guardian justice, even if it means walking into the enemy's trap.

    Get caught up on this wild old man's wizarding journey before the next Tale.The Wizard Takes a Holiday is a flash fiction humorous rural fantasy of about 1500 words. The Wizard Takes a Fitness Class: A wandering wizard with regrets on his mind finds himself in a dance-off against an old enemy. About 5600 wordsLucian's First Trick is the story of a young man's last night in the childhood realm of his mundane life. Sometimes when you say “Trick or Treat,” you get what you ask for. Originally published in Sirens Call Issue #5, October 2012. Approximately 3500 words. The Wizard Takes the Cake: The mysterious Wizard takes a student as his “+1” to the wedding of an old friend in this episode of the Wizard Tales, the longest yet. About 10,000 words A Laurents County Landfill Christmas: The Wizard bookends this fantastical tale from ruralfab Indiana. Starring the characters of Troll Or Derby. Originally published as part of the Let It Snow! Season's Readings for a Super-Cool Yule collection. About 6500 words

    Fifteen years later he seeks revenge against a man who bends the elements of nature at will. His journey will send him swimming across iceberg blue oceans, scaling frozen mountain slopes, and trekking through the surreal city landscapes of a futuristic world. Will he avenge the ones he has lost or will his quest for vengeance destroy his planet’s only chance of surviving the war against Aethon? A story that explores love, vengeance, jealousy and rage driven animosity

    Join him as he strolls through Heaven's gardens, ponders theological questions with other angels, and battles against others who have turned away. This epic tale will take you from the inner workings of the quark to the interplay between galaxies, from what lies hidden in the soul to the fundamental questions of good and evil.

    HIGH STAKES begs the question: Do you care to gamble...with your life?Table of Contents"An Introduction" by Dacre C. Stoker"The Contest of Inescapable Misdirection," a poem by Linda AddisonStories:"The Car" by Jeff Strand"The Things That Live in Cages" by Jonathan Maberry"She Grew a Pair" by Joe McKinney"Saving Face" by Gabrielle Faust"Hack" by David C. Hayes"The Blood Countess" by Sephera Giron"Bonesong" by Rain Graves"Truth Conquers All" by Michael H. Hanson"Countdown" by JG Faherty"The Games Monsters Play" by Roh Morgon

    Escaping his evil clutches as a child, she's worried he's come back with a vengeance for her now. She has luck on her side, though. Good and bad. On the upside, she narrowly escaped death and the devil claiming her soul. On the downside, a portal has been opened, and she can feel every time a beast from Hell crosses over to our world. One creature in particular, a rogue ice demon named Synn, has made it his personal mission to protect her as part of his reformation. Her boyfriend, Derek, and his friends don't trust him for a minute. Tempers flare, and passions ignite unexpectedly while new problems emerge. Can this fledgling team of demon-slayers rise above adversity, or will Evil tear them apart bit by bit and have its day? The portal between Hell and Earth is torn asunder, and it will take everything Camille Dutton has and then some to close it. Satan won't go down easy, but nothing worth everything comes without a price. The Book Waitress Series is a compilation of 13 serialized novellas paying homage to the TV shows I loved to watch- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed. This volume contains the first three novellas connected seamlessly together into this one full-length novel.

    I am a seventeen year old slave boy, who must endure a life of servitude and sacrifice to keep my family alive. They took away my mother, my sister, my friends, everything I have cared for including my love. I inadvertently struck out and my actions started a chain reaction which led to war and a full scale rebellion. They have sent two armies to crush our resistance. I have an army of 300 maltreated slave children. They have an army of 5000 battle hardened men. I have hijacked an armoured State train. They have a limitless arsenal of the most sophisticated weapons on the face of the earth. I have promised my army of slave children to get them to freedom or die trying. They have vowed to kill every single slave child and have promised to handsomely reward the one who brings my head. I have made a pledge to my younger sister and will cheat death as many times as it takes to fulfil it. They are planning victory celebrations as a foregone conclusion, and have ordered ingeniously gruesome deaths for my soldiers and our families. What they don’t know is…we have a stolen nuclear warhead in our possession and we intend to deliver it to the Emperor’s doorstep."

    Hera, Zeus’ wife, banishes her to Agnostos—The Triangle of the Unknown—the only place on earth where the gods of Olympus have no power. Once imprisoned, Hecate stumbles upon a gateway to the center of the earth, and uses her discovery to bargain her way out of Agnostos. But the night after the Council meeting to decide Hecates fate, Athena is visited by a Titan who reveals the real story of the mysterious portal hidden beneath the waters of Agnostos. A god more powerful than the Olympians await them at the Earth’s core. To maintain their status as supreme rulers of Olympus, five gods must enter the abyss and fight this unknown god. Can the gods of Olympus learn to work together and save the Earth?

    If successful, the soldier would have an increase in endurance, strength, awareness and overall speed. They would become the true super soldier. That's if everything went according to plan. SciTech put its best scientists on the project and gave them a time limit to complete the job or else. With the pressure on and the stakes high, Vincent Masterson and his team put everything they had into the project. Everything was looking hopeful until an experiment went horribly wrong. The scientists mutated their specimen's DNA, turning it into something monstrous. Now, life as we know it will never be the same. As it stands, the only thing that can save the human race is one of the two things they should be running from.Can the human race survive being caught in a bloody war between two vicious predators?