Included in The Malazan Empire collection are Steven Erikson's books:Gardens of the MoonDeadhouse GatesMemories of IceHouse of ChainsMidnight TidesThe BonehuntersReaper's GaleToll the HoundsDust of DreamsThe Crippled GodAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    He is also very sensitive to attempts on his life. When a murder of crows tries to... well, murder him, and the contents of his bath are transmuted into hot nitric acid, he suspects someone may mean him harm. The trail leads to one of the less travelled parts of Hell itself, and there Cabal will need a guide.As Dante had his Virgil, so Cabal employs the services of a devil who is a monster, a predator, and -- most alien of all to Cabal -- a woman. The devil Zarenyia and he delve deep into Hell, even into Satan's greatest mistake, to confront challenges quite outside the ken of any mortal. But one should always use a long spoon when supping with a devil, and Cabal soon realises the unthinkable, a horror beyond his experience. He is actually beginning to like her.

    He had never smoked anything in his life, but as the new kid in town trying to make friends, he'd gone to a party and had foolishly let his new buddy Reggie talk him into trying a joint that he'd picked up from a new dealer. Before he knew it, Tom was having a seriously bad trip; a total out of body experience where the world had dissolved around him. A few puffs in and he'd gotten this massive case of tunnel vision where the entire party seemed to be happening at the other end of a long tunnel; soon it was like he was having this weird out of body experience looking down at himself. The next thing Tom knew, there were these deranged myopic wizards from some place called Astlan calling on him in some sort of pig Latin mumbo jumbo. They had somehow mistaken Tom for a demon! He tried to flee but the wizards were relentless and were determined to conjure him into their world and bind him as their demon slave for all of eternity! Oh, yeah, and those crazy wizards? Turns out they were going to war and planned to use their new demon slave as a secret weapon to obliterate the enemy!_______________________________________________ Jenn was a journeyman Thaumaturge at Lenamare's Academy of Wizardry. School was a living hell. Oh, she was learning a lot, thanks to Master Trisfelt, but the Head Master and Head Mistress were insufferable egomaniacs. Head Mistress Jehenna seemed intent on making Jenn's life a living hell.If this wasn't bad enough, the Head Master, Lenamare, had gone and got in a squabble with another wizard, Exador and now Exador was marching his army on the school. And to top it off, during what was supposed to be a routine classroom demonstration on demon summoning, Lenamare and the class had stumbled upon what they thought was a minor demon and tried to bind it. But unfortunately it wasn't a minor demon. It was a Greater Demon, something so powerful and Evil that they were almost never conjured onto the Planes of Man. Naturally being an egomaniac, Lenamare insisted on trying to bind it to his will and use it to destroy Exador and his army. So the question was: Would Exador's army ravage and kill her, or would the school's newest defense consume her immortal soul?

    But, as Cabal is to discover, the future may not be the most reliable informant after all. "Ouroboros Ouzo" is a short tale of Johannes Cabal wherein he learns both too much, and too little.

    The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

    The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings returns to the world of Sourdough and Other Stories (Tartarus, 2010), introducing readers to the tales that came before. Stories where coffin-makers work hard to keep the dead beneath; where a plague maiden steals away the children of an ungrateful village; where poison girls are schooled in the art of assassination; where pirates disappear from the seas; where families and the ties that bind them can both ruin and resurrect and where books carry forth fairy tales, forbidden knowledge and dangerous secrets. The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings is enhanced by eighty-six pen-and-ink illustrations by artist Kathleen Jennings. Contains: 'Author’s Note', 'Introduction' by Stephen Jones, 'The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter', 'The Maiden in the Ice', 'The Badger Bride', 'The Burnt Moon', 'By My Voice I Shall Be Known', 'The Undone and the Divine', 'The Night Stair', 'Now, All Pirates are Gone', 'St Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls', 'The Bitterwood Bible', 'Terrible as an Army with Banners', 'By the Weeping Gate', 'Spells for Coming Forth by Daylight', 'Afterword' by Lisa L. Hannett, 'Acknowledgements'. The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings is a sewn hardback of 278 pages, printed lithographically, with decorated boards, silk ribbon marker, head and tailbands, and d/w.

    Gifted? Join the Death Vigil in their ongoing war against the ever-growing power of the Primordial Enemy! The only catch is you have to die first. Become a corporeal immortal Death Knight and obtain reality-altering weaponry in the never-ending battle between good and evil.

    For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all.The Red Queen’s grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it’s all a rumor—nothing that will affect him—but he is wrong.After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. As the two undertake a journey across the Empire to undo the spell, encountering grave dangers, willing women, and an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath along the way, Jalan gradually catches a glimmer of the truth: he and the Norseman are but pieces in a game, part of a series of moves in the long war—and the Red Queen controls the board.

     But light casts shade, and in the shadow of the spires the baseborn struggle, eeking out an existence amidst the cast-offs of their betters. This is Low Town, a sprawling warren of side streets and back alleys, of boarded-up windows and false storefronts. Here the corner boys do a steady trade to the dead-eyed and despairing, and a life can be bought with a clipped copper penny. Low Town is an ugly place, and its champion is an ugly man. Once a war hero and intelligence agent, now a crime lord addicted to cheap violence and expensive narcotics, the Warden struggles to maintain some semblance of order in a corner of the world where chaos is the natural state.

    Read all 4 books of this Norse-inspired epic fantasy series back to back, and follow the saga of the powerful yet troubled battle-mage, Farden, as he embarks on a brutal journey to protect his wild and frozen world. Welcome to Emaneska.———PRAISE FOR THE EMANESKA SERIES“★★★★★. Galley's imagination is a truly beautiful thing. The plot here is rich and intricate, and the characters are a delight... I believe Mr Galley may well be one to watch.”– Fantasy Bytes"If you love fantasy, action, intrigue, magic and all that goes with it then you need to read these books.”– The Book Geek“★★★★★. Galley is not yet as good an author as Gemmell but the thing that I find exciting is that I honestly think that he could be.”– Fantasy Book Review"There are certain twists that will surprise the reader by genuinely coming out of the left field.”– Fantasy Book Critic———ABOUT THE SERIESThe Emaneska Series follows the Written Mage Farden as he battles to save war-torn Emaneska from ancient demons set on vengeance. Unimaginable monsters, betrayal, and his own deep flaws stand in Farden's way, but with the help of the lost gods and a stubborn fire that refuses to die, Farden will fight save Emaneska from its dark fate. The question is: will he succeed?The Emaneska Series Box Set contains:- The Written (#1 Amazon Bestseller)- Pale Kings- Dead Stars - Part One- Dead Stars - Part TwoPacked with magic, dragons, mystery and brutal battles across a vast world, The Emaneska Series is an epic fantasy saga not to be missed. With almost 1000 ★★★★★ reviews across stores, The Emaneska Series box set is a hard-hitting dose of heroic fantasy and sword and sorcery that is perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, David Gemmell, or Robin Hobb.———ABOUT THE STORYA spellbook has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell – an extremely powerful summoning manual from the time of dark elves and demons. Five scholars are dead, the magick council is running out of time and options, and the Arka is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders. It falls to Farden the Written Mage to keep the world from falling into abject chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden must recover the spellbook before an ancient enemy rises, even if it means fighting his way across frozen Emaneska and back.In his quest for answers, Farden will unearth a secret that not only threatens the foundations of his being, but endangers the survival of all Emaneska. Magic, death, and the deepest of betrayals await.Welcome to Emaneska.———MORE BOOKS BY BEN GALLEY (Available in ebook, paperback and audio)Emaneska Series– Pale Kings– Dead Stars - Part One– Dead Stars - Part Two– No FairytaleScarlet Star Trilogy– Bloodrush– Bloodmoon– BloodrushChasing Graves Trilogy– Chasing Graves– Grim Solace– Breaking ChaosStandalones– The Heart of Stone– Shards

    Traveling near the edge of the Black Forest, monster hunter Geralt meets a widowed fisherman whose dead and murderous wife resides in an eerie mansion known as the House of Glass—which seems to have endless rooms, nothing to fill them with, and horror around every corner.Written by Eisner winner Paul Tobin!

    Before there was a primordial species called the Vampyr, there was a celestial race begotten of gods and men. Before light battled shadow, the sacrifice became mandatory, or the first Blood Moon adorned the celestial sky... There was the Curse.A punishment.An abomination.The ultimate act of vengeance.And it was placed upon a people so corrupted by their thirst for blood and dominion that they awakened the souls of the slain ~ and became the souls of the damned. Before the Blood Curse Series, there was a beginning. BLOOD GENESIS(A short-story prequel to the Blood Curse Series)

    He leads you towards the street, where you see more Teddy Bears standing around with some of your neighbors. What are they doing? What do they want? And where are they taking your girlfriend?

     In the City of Three, Kam is reunited with her friends, Billip and Georgio, but finds little comfort in their arrival. Scorch and Darleen have taken over the Magi Roost along with the help of another sinister being that calls himself Sidebor. Brak, trying to find his place in Three, clashes with both allies and enemies. Trinos with the Nameless Two in tow travels inside the belly of Bish in search of purpose and power. Master Sinway strengthens his grip on Bish and becomes acquainted with a new and powerful ally. Back in the City of Bone, Creed finds himself overwhelmed by the awesome powers of the armament. Who will survive to the next day and who won’t?

    Yet, there are those possessed of the will to seek illumination. Kikkan, a former slave on the run, and Quillion, a mercenary and self-taught scholar. Together they seek out a small band of rebels living in hiding who offer the promise of a better world. Their leader is a mysterious figure known only as The Reader of Acheron.

    He and his veterinarian wife, Sun, have been chased by them before, and barely escaped from a secret underground government facility with their lives.Now they once again find themselves trapped alongside a collection of creatures straight out of hell. Fighting with them is an unlikely group of misfits, including a misplaced British kid, a former spec-ops soldiers, and a strange Irishman who might be the oldest living thing on earth--if he's even alive at all.Filled with the kind of slam-bang action, wicked scares, and sly humor that have earned J.A. Konrath and Iain Rob Wright millions of fans, HOLES IN THE GROUND is both a collaboration and a continuation of both authors' previous work (ORIGIN by Konrath and FINAL WINTER by Wright) but also serves as a perfect introduction to their universes.The devil you know is just as bad as the devil you don't...HOLES IN THE GROUND by J.A. Konrath and Iain Rob WrightSome secrets have teeth.

    How will you save them?

    But not for long..."When Mammon, the Prince of Greed, 'acquires' a half-blood slave known as 'Muse' for three nights, and bespells her with tales of a world where people live like kings and queens among towers of steel and glass, the seed of hope takes root in Muse's soul. But hope, for a half-human half-demon creature like her, is a dangerous thing. Especially when that tentative hope springs from the honeyed words of a Prince of Hell. What is Mammon's price for freedom?Meanwhile, Da'mean, her ruthless owner, would rather see her dead, than free. She belongs to him. She is his muse. And no beast will take her from him.The world of the elemental demons is harsh and violent. Muse's kin are merciless, blood-hungry beasts, but little do they know, Muse has something far more dangerous coiled inside her, desperate for a taste of freedom. Her humanity.

    Each night, the world is overrun by demons—bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting the surface for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive. A handful of Messengers brave the night to keep the lines of communication open between the increasingly isolated populace. Briar Damaj is a boy of six in the small village of Bogton. Half Krasian, the village children call him Mudboy for his dark skin. When tragedy strikes, Briar decides the town is better off without him, fleeing into the bog with nothing but his wits and a bit of herb lore to protect him. After twenty years, Ragen Messenger has agreed to retire and pass on his route to his protégé, Arlen Bales. But for all that he’s earned the rest, he has no idea what to do with the rest of his life. When he learns Briar, the son of an old friend, is missing, Ragen is willing to risk any danger to bring him safely home.

    But can Soren save the boy in time?For Soren, the case is personal. The boy's father was John Townes, Soren's best friend who died in a supernatural attack several years earlier. Soren will do anything to save John's son, but he must act fast. Because the kidnapper has a mission of his own, and he's willing to destroy anyone who gets in his way...A prequel to the full-length novel The Forest of Forever, Closed at Dark is a self-contained novella that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves urban fantasy, mystery and suspense.

    The next thing he knows, he’s a potato chip laying on the table. Potato skin trembling in fear, in horror he wonders who will eat him first, the cockroach or his girlfriend? Will he wake up in time?

    A team of commandos are sent to a remote island populated by the undead to rescue a group of stranded scientist. The commandos come up against the hungry dead, Russian mercenaries, and shady government conspiracies. Dead Island: Operation Zulu is a fun, action packed, blood splattered, horror adventure. Dawn of the Dead meets Aliens!

    Mythical, historical and scientific secrets are hidden in a small prairie town, and a group of boys may be the only ones able to protect the biggest secret of all.______________________________A centuries-old organization within the tiny town of Grayson protects many secrets - from unknown scientific discoveries to the truth about the mythical island of Atlantis, along with information that ties it to historical events from around the world, such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.Thirteen-year-old Adam McTaggart and his wise-cracking friends learn some of these secrets and discover that their boring small town is much more exciting than they had always believed it to be.But someone is coming, looking for an ancient power protected by the secret organization, and they are destroying towns as they draw near.Can Adam and his friends learn all they need in time to protect the biggest secret of all before it’s too late?

     Punished by God for the betrayal of his son Jesus Christ, he is forced to live out the existence of a broken man for eternity, unable to die. Although immortal, he has been bound by rules; never allowed to find love, raise a family, or make use of the items of wealth that he has acquired over the two millennia. Throughout time, God has given him tasks that he could not refuse where his skill with a sword has proved to be invaluable in smiting wayward demons and, at the end of 2012, an angel, the messenger of God presents him with his greatest and most important mission. For three days, he is to protect six-year-old Charlotte Hope as she approaches her seventh birthday. She is 'The Light', whose purpose it is to shepherd humankind out from its hedonistic ways. However, the forces of Hell also wish to acquire the child for their master, Lucifer, so that he may drain her light and become unchallenged in his crusade to dominate the kingdom of man. With the aid of the unlikely pairing of police detective Gary Cross and prostitute Abi Colter, can Judas protect Charlotte so that she may save all humankind and in turn release him from the curse allowing his entry into the White Kingdom, or will Lucifer succeed and bring forth the Apocalypse? Judas is a dark fantasy, supernatural science fiction page-turner to engross fans of James Herbert, Shaun Hutson and Dean Koontz. A sword and sorcery, action-adventure epic that will leave you yearning for more as you follow our gruff and uncompromising antihero in his quest for redemption and salvation.

    "To have written such a book was nothing… to convince the world it was a work of fiction was a triumph!"Inspired by Oscar Wilde's classic story of hedonism and corruption, The Confessions of Dorian Gray imagines a world where Dorian Gray was real, and his friendship with Oscar Wilde once spawned the notorious novel.Presented as a series of original horror stories, Alexander Vlahos takes us on a supernatural journey through the twentieth century: from Oscar Wilde’s death in Paris, right through to the present day.This complete collection features every episode from the first and second series, including three hour-long special episodes – released on CD for the very first time! Also included are the Bernice Summerfield crossover story, Shades of Gray, a soundtrack of James Dunlop’s evocative music score and specially-recorded introductions from Alexander Vlahos, who selects his favourite stories from the series.CONTENTS:This World Our HellThe Immortal GameMurder on 81st StreetThe Houses in BetweenThe Twittering of SparrowsThe Lord of MisruleThe Heart That Lives AloneThe Fallen King of BritainThe Picture of Loretta DelphineRunning Away With YouGhosts of Christmas PastThe Prime of Deacon BrodieThe Mayfair MonsterBernice Summerfield: Shades of GrayThe Music of Dorian Gray

    Follow misfits, sellouts and everyday drones through palimpsest streets into places where reality peels away and gods, ghosts, ancestors and/or fungi await.

    . . but the only one who can help her.Alex is placed between watching Bran die or saving the world. Choices. Choices.USA Today Bestselling author, Mary Buckham throws her readers into a world of danger, explosive conflict and dark magic as the team learns to fight the dark paranormal forces out to overthrow the world of humans.

    A chance find unwittingly has her discovering the truth of an ancient Greek myth, plunging her into a world where the legends she only read about in her history books become her reality. Plagued with a strange link to others’ past, she follows the path of an ancient artifact around the world and throughout time as it reveals its story to guide her to contain powers once thought lost to the rise of modern religion. Two men affected by the artifact vie for her allegiance; Gabriel, a man haunted by his own past, and smooth talking Viktor who wants Nia to embrace a life she never imagined. A love sacrificed… An impossible decision…As lines blur between right and wrong, how much will Nia be willing to sacrifice?

    Instead of being groomed for wifehood like other girls, Leena spends her days within the walls of the Acropolis, shuffled around by the clergy and doomed to be a virgin forever. Before her ascension, Leena decides to take matters into her own hands. With the help of her father’s book of alchemy, she casts an incantation calling forth her own personal hero. But when that hero turns out to be a rogue vampyre prince with a haunted past, Leena begins to question if her feelings for him are the work of divine intervention, or a love spell gone horribly wrong.

    SEED is the first book in this gripping new epic adventure series sure to appeal to young adults and crossover fiction readers who enjoy an assured blend of romance, fantasy and history. SEED and the other three novels in the Keepers of Genesis series (SCROLL , SWORD and STONE) should appeal to readers of Becca Fitzpatrick, of Stephanie Meyer, of Cassandra Clare’s MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series, of Lauren Kate’s FALLEN books, of Danielle Trussoni‘s ANGELOLOGY as well as to quest/thriller novels by Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, Steve Berry, Simon Toyne and to fans of Indiana Jones, National Treasure, The Mummy or of Lara Croft’s adventures. One thrilling quest, twin sisters and their sweeping and adventurous romances, a perilous rivalry, intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries, a magical tale of angels and demons throughout the ages. Incorporating historical facts intertwined with myth, fantasy, fascinating esoterica and love story, SEED is a captivating read which marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in YA and crossover escapist literature.

    The final book in the Mace of the Apocalypse series.

    After competing in a tournament, he is wed to a Lady of the Court, Angeline. Cedric's senses begin to overwhelm him and he struggles to decipher his feelings; Are they a creation of his incubine bloodline or truly heartfelt emotions for the girl who has lost it all to him? He finds himself forced to choose between falling in love or continuing his suicidal quest to kill his creator. Epic battles against all manners of beasts and demons fill this story with memorable antagonists such as Morrighan and her two sisters; Romasanta the Father of Werewolves; Succubus Queen Lillith and many more. Find yourself engulfed in lores and history long forgotten from the 12th Century and beyond.

    Hatched from an egg but unable to shift into dragon form, Jathen is a Moot among the Tazu. His rightful throne is forbidden him because of his transformative handicap, and neither his culture nor his religion offer acceptance of his perceived flaws.Driven by wounded anger, Jathen strikes out across the vast world beyond Tazu borders, desperate to find a place where he feels accepted and whole. Though he travels with the most trusted of companions, sabotage and conspiracy soon strike his quest. Jathen and his allies must struggle against man and magic alike, at the mercy of forces beyond their ken.As Jathen presses on, his questions of belonging are surrounded by more of identity, loyalty, and betrayal. Where will the path of his destiny lead, and will he follow or fall?

    Reluctantly you might add.Sent by his father to watch a silly mortal, Taz plans to ship her off to No Man’s Land, so he can go back home to max and relax.When blues eyes meet hazel, it’s a done deal. Taz wants to keep the only mortal who can make him laugh and cry at the same time, while Ari gets a dream trip to Greece, to be a model and finally use her self-defense training to kick some butt.Happily ever after can’t be reached without Taz discovering his mortal flaw. Gods can and do die. Ari can’t join the immortal ranks without fighting the crockety Fates for her soul.

    Auren Trasks perfectly normal life is disrupted when the Galvadi invade, and she learns a startling secret about her past. A secret that will change her life forever.The Delohi-Saqu's Fate (Episode 2)Auren is being targeted by the Council of Elders, and the only one who could put an end to their corruption is her father. But leaving the Dark Isle would turn Kado against her.Shadows' Betrayal (Episode 3)After seeing the monster she will become, Auren swears not to leave the Dark Isle. Despite that, the elders are conspiring against her. To escape their scheming, she and Kado decide to explore the Dark Isle. But worse things await them in the forests.Forbidden Love (Episode 4)Kado and Auren survive a deadly storm, but when Auren is forbidden from pursuing love with another young shadow stalker, will it be enough to drive a wedge between her and her foster father?Destiny Reconciled Part 1 (Episode 5)Auren and Kado accept that they may not be able to avoid her leaving the Dark Isle. Now they have to prepare for that eventuality. Will the training be more than Auren can handle?Destiny Reconciled Part 2 (Episode 6)Cathnor has been arrested and is facing a death sentence. The Dark Isle is out of control, and Kado is the only one who can help his people. So he prepares Auren for the possibility that she may have to leave the Dark Isle without him and face her destiny alone, but can she leave him and do what must be done?New Cover Edition: Original Edition ISBN 9781519940575

    A grieving man discovering what his true purpose in life has become. A small town with a lake harboring something few men have seen and lived. A fateful Halloween night and the tragedy and complete terror it sets in motion. Long time pen pals... and the confession one desperate woman makes to her best friend. The God Beneath My Garden collects rare, difficult-to-find short fiction and previously unpublished work, along with story notes.

    Travelling to the mysterious south in search of a mighty death, the Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion, Felix Jaeger, find themselves caught up in a battle between warring kingdoms. Captured by the sinister Queen Khalida and forced to do her bidding, the adventurers must brave the horrors of the sun-soaked Land of the Dead... And the dead do not rest easy.A Gotrek and Felix novel by Josh Reynolds.

    Felipe is one of them, but a chance encounter with a mysterious woman becomes more than he could’ve ever bargained for. Upon revealing his true form, the desirable young man immediately captures Dahlia’s interest.Dynamite, guns, and the spread of an invading civilization are only some of the perils threatening Felipe's tribe. Another hungry danger lurks just beyond the village boundaries, and it eagerly awaits the chance to make the whole tribe its prey.Felipe becomes torn between duty and desire, but Dahlia’s past makes them natural enemies. Can they overcome their differences in time to face the greater danger… or will a sinister presence consume them all?

    After moving to Maine to be closer to her boyfriend, Kyle, Jenna was starting a new chapter in her life. Little did she know, this chapter had more to offer than she ever thought possible.One night of fun exhibitionism turns Jenna’s world upside down and shoves her face first into a world she never knew existed. Harbinger. Female Harbinger. The thing of legends, a myth foretold by ancient seers, but it couldn’t be true. She was just her. Besides, things like that didn’t exist. After being kidnapped, shot at, chased, and sprouting wings, she wasn’t so sure anymore.Timoteus, an ancient Harbinger, has been searching for Jenna for years after finding out that she truly did exist, keeping a long-term promise to an old friend to watch over his family line. His duties were to protect her, train her, and make the foretold prophecy come to fruition. After saving Jenna, they find themselves still being hunted, landing Tim right in the middle of an operation he never dreamed could exist.Benneit Colebrook took over his father’s business after his death last year. When the mention of a female Harbinger was whispered in his ear, he knew he had to have the rare and precious being to add to his collection. And, he would do anything to get her.Jenna now finds herself in an underground compound with two sexy as hell men, hiding away from the people hell-bent on taking her. Why? She has no clue. Yesterday she was normal, today she’s not only in a fight for her life, but also the lives of all beings that have been disappearing for centuries.Will Jenna be able to accept who she is and face this new world head-on, or will everything come crumbling down before she has a fighting chance?

    SEE CITY OF SHAME (FIELDS OF ELYSIUM, #2)When life gives you no choice other than to be strong or perish, you soon learn who you really are...Since discovering the wormhole that connects Earth to Arkana, Molly Bennett faced joy and pain, love and death, excitement and danger unlike anybody else she knew. But her biggest challenge is about to begin. She is inside the force field, lost in Terraka City with people she doesn’t know. Life is more dangerous under Taronno’s tyranny than she and her Arkanian friends anticipated. Time is running out and she must figure out whom to trust, how to stay safe, and how to get back to her beloved Victor.Victor Sorren’s life changed the moment Molly showed up on Arkana. His love for her came easy, but admitting it to her took every bit of courage he had. Obstacles always threatened to tear them apart, but together they overcame all of them. Now, Molly is gone and Victor doesn’t know how to deal with his worry and loneliness. Going after her would mean certain death, but this is the price he is willing to pay to see her again.The race against time has begun. Will Molly be able to find her way back to Victor before it’s too late?A.B. Whelan's third book of the romantic fantasy Fields of Elysium series is an other highly imaginative tale, a fast paced story about the power of love and human nature.

    Well, until he finds out he's a powerful necromancer, and the other necromancer in town isn't happy about that at all...Necromancing the Stone: Sam's necromancer rival is gone, and things have settled into a routine. If you can call total chaos a routine, of course.Includes bonus chapters from Lish McBrideFirebug!

    . . in this dazzling anti-story, a love letter to the weird.” -- Publishers Weekly A hallucinatory exploration of the strange work and even stranger life of Ozman F. Droom, by Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Robin Spriggs.Metafiction or monograph, biography or balderdash, demonic revelation or divine obfuscation, The Untold Tales of Ozman Droom is at times deeply disturbing, at others weirdly sublime, yet ever enigmatic and profoundly haunting throughout--an ouroboric shadow play of strange wonder, mad prophecy, and inescapable dread.

    But what if that birthday card in your hand isn’t as innocent as it looks? What happens if it’s THE CARD you receive each year, but never remembering getting? Let’s open it and find out.

    But Joe- and his best friend Amber- are both about to be drawn into a series of incredible events and discover hidden truths not only about themselves but about the world itself. Their lives will never be the same again...

    Her only weapon is a simply crafted pennywhistle, and the music that runs in her bard-gifted blood...

    Wright's four brilliant forays into the dark fantasy world of William Hope Hodgson's 1912 novel, The Night Land. Widely considered to be the finest tribute to Hodgson ever written, this novella was previously published in 2004 in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection. The five-million year epic that begins with "Awake in the Night" continues in AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, which in addition to "Awake in the Night" contains "The Cry of the Night-Hound", "Silence of the Night", and "The Last of All Suns", which collectively tell the haunting tale of the Last Redoubt of Man and the end of the human race. John C. Wright has been described by reviewers as one of the most important and audacious authors in science fiction today. In a recent poll of more than 1,000 science fiction readers, he was chosen as the sixth-greatest living science fiction writer.

    These fears exist everywhere: in our minds, in our neighborhoods, and in all the places beyond. Come with us as our 22 writers take you deep into their world of fears, exposing the vulnerable spots in each writer's soul. What strikes fear in their hearts will haunt you. ### Including stories by: Author K Webster, Author rJo Herman, Author T.D. Harvey, Author Maria Sauerbrei, Author Krista Redmayne, Author Kerry E.B. Black, Author Laura K. Cowan, Author Jack Darkness, Author S.M. Lowry, Author Joi Miner, Author Matt Lovell, Author BB Raven, Author Stance A. Bingham, Author D.K. Cassidy, Author Michael Mill, Author Roxanna Mitchell, Author Shannon McLoud, Author C. Lloyd Brill, Author Adriel Reed, Author Debbie Manber Kupfer. Cover design and artwork by Mika Sugano. ### All proceeds of this charity anthology go to benefit pediatric cancer research and patient care.

    He has banished death, and for countless centuries ruled a land where ghosts, vampires, and other wicked undead keep men in feudal servitude. Elsewhere in the world, human civilization has flourished, and with rifle and iron rail, the power of the Elves has been banished at last. Foremost among the great modern nations is the Verin Empire, and with their prosperity threatened by forces the Elves once kept in check, they find themselves rushing headlong into war with Thyesten’s Kingdom of the Dead. Tammen Gilmot is a young soldier sent to defend the Verin Empire’s colonial frontier who finds himself swept up into this reckless new campaign, pitting rifle and cannon against Gedlund’s ruthless Everlords and their legions of the dead. In the goblin-infested southern frontier, the sprawling metropolis of Gemmen, and the haunted northern kingdom of Gedlund, the modern world wars against the past as Tammen tries to find his place in the forming of history. Gedlund is the story of a young man's rise to responsibility amid battles between humanity and the terrors of the distant past. Drawing inspiration from Lord of the Rings, Catch-22 and our own late 19th century, William Ray’s debut novel features a complex and nuanced world of memorable characters and unique perspectives on life in worlds of classic fantasy.

    Or, more accurately, what I’m like when I’m angry.Delia was beautiful, smart, and kind. He wasn’t. He said he loved her, but he didn’t know what love was. He was manipulative and cruel—more than a thief. A beast.All she wanted was a rose… These are the words on my sister’s grave. Her sadness, her obsession, forever a reminder I didn’t--couldn’t save her.I’m not vindictive or cruel. I’m simply as the river--my memory is winding and my reach is long. I watched him steal her beauty, her essence. Watched him become a beast. He thought he'd get away with it, thought he'd go free.I lay a rose upon my sister's grave.Light a candle for the beast.

    Humans must subsist off the land far from quarantined cities now overrun by plague and forest. Not only has the environment undergone a drastic transformation, but the bodies and minds of people are changing in ways that can't be explained. When the true nature of this world begins to forcefully reassert itself into her life, Amanda must face the deadly reality of what stalks the woods bordering her farm. If she has any hope of protecting a neighboring family with ties to her past, she must go up against her own personal fears and the family's intense denial.

    Self proclaimed Scrooge, Maurin Kincaide accepts the challenge and tackles the yuletide with all the determination she would a Council task. But not everyone is brimming with holiday cheer. A blood coven threatens to bring the holiday festivities to an end. Can Maurin stop the dark magic before the clock strikes twelve, signaling the solstice?

    Treasure and glory await those courageous enough to wrest it from the darkness. But the danger is great, for lurking in the forgotten shadows are forces far stranger and more perilous than even civilization. The price of freedom might be paid in souls. LotFP: Weird Fantasy Role-Playing presents a sinister and horrific twist on traditional fantasy gaming. Simple enough for a beginner yet meaty enough for the veteran, this game will make all your worst nightmares come true. This book is a revision of the Rules & Magic book originally found in the LotFP: Weird Fantasy Role-Playing boxed set. It contains all the rules needed to play the game. (Explicit Content: Recommended for ages 18+)

    Sometimes funny, sometimes horrifying; always clever, always disturbing. Highly entertaining!" - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of CODE ZERO"McKiernan's stories are hauntingly dark, evocatively written and viscerally compelling. With little regard for genre boundaries, McKiernan creates utterly convincing characters who will take you on a journey through fully realised worlds, and every journey is more than worth it." - Alan Baxter, author of Bound and Realmshift"These clever, compelling stories explore the dark edges of human existence. Utilising deceptive, often colloquial prose and an array of startling imagery, McKiernan has staked his own claim in a dark corner of imaginative fiction. Start reading him now; this guy will go far." - Gary McMahon, author of The Concrete Grove"McKiernan is a magician. He performs magic tricks in every story, spinning us around, making us believe one thing before showing us we were wrong all along. His stories are pure magic, staying with you like an echo long after reading." - Kaaron Warren, author of Slights & Walking the Tree

    And it isn't over. The entity responsible for killing Manny's family and wreaking devastation in the small seaside community has reappeared. Again. As it has every year since. And is growing in power. Every July 8th it returns, as survivors of the fires, including Manny, are mysteriously led back to the now-vacant seaside lot on Chelsea Avenue, where the entity intends to finish what it started in 1987 once and for all.

    Roland Deschain is now a man - a man with only one goal in life: to pursue the Man in Black to the end of Mid-World and make him pay for destroying everything dear to him. But is this really a pursuit? Or is the Man in Black luring him into a maze of dead ends and false horizons? Is the collapse of Mid-World already a forgone conclusion? The answer - as always - lies frustratingly at the world's end. And with what John Farson has planned for him, Roland might not make it that far. COLLECTING: THE JOURNEY BEGINS 1-5, THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA 1-5, THE BATTLE OF TULL 1-5, THE WAY STATION 1-5, THE MAN IN BLACK 1-5, SHEEMIE'S TALE 1-2, EVIL GROUND 1-2, SO FELL LORD PERTH 1

    None of them are ever seen again.Last year, they took Trinity’s only friend. She’s spent every spare moment scouring the woods, searching for him. She’s close to finding him, but the year is over. The harvest is done.She sneaks into the forest for one last attempt to locate her friend but she’s barely left camp when the first call of Guards on hunt shatters the air.She can’t let them catch her but she has nowhere to hide. A strange creature lurks in the water, following her down the river and something stalks her from the woods. Every minute brings the Guards closer. Soon, she’ll be surrounded. Forest or river. Which enemy should she choose?Lake of Sins: Escape is a young adult fantasy in the vein of The Island of Dr. Moreau. If you like imaginative dystopian worlds, headstrong heroines, and incredible monsters, then you’ll love this visionary tale.

    When she wakes up on her nineteenth birthday in a parallel world she feels she may have finally glimpsed her true purpose. She learns that she is a Changeling with the ability to pass through the Dreaming and into the Otherworld. Now she has one year to decide whether to forsake her destiny and remain a mortal, or to sever her ties to become an immortal Fae, standing guard over the dreams of sleeping humans.When other changelings go missing, whispers of a dark and shadowy threat begin to spread through the Fae courts. There is an Erlking, an elf twisted by thousands of years trapped in the mortal world, hunting down the changelings where the Fae can’t protect them and draining the magic from their souls. Cassie is thrown into a race against time to decide what she wants most before it finds her and devours her soul and takes away her choices for good.

    But Kaemen discovers that the kingdom’s preparations were for naught when he awakes in a realm far more harrowing than the battlefield, for they have crossed over into the Land of the Dead. Now Kaemen must fight for the salvation of Gaescea, knowing all the while that he is being hunted by damnation.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kindle-readers-- Feel free to message me to request a free Kindle version.

    From the metropolitan capital of Ban Turin to rural Bardstown, or the mountain city of Craymore to the bustling seaport Laniel, the Council of Lords rule with an iron fist. And yet, not all is as it seems in this medieval world. There are whispers of strange creatures haunting the woods and mountain passages, and magic has appeared in the unlikeliest of places. The uneasy peace of centuries past is unraveling. A new generation of heroes will rise… Roman is a young man searching for meaning in a life filled with questions. His solitary existence is turned upside down when he befriends Dennah, a caravan guard and kindred spirit. They work together to solve the puzzling events plaguing his town, unearthing startling secrets buried in his past along the way. Julian is a young nobleman looking for more than his highborn station provides. He pledges himself to the illustrious Silver Guard and trades in a life of status and comfort for a dangerous posting in the mountain city of Craymore. A fateful meeting with Tanea, a gifted young healer, sets him onto a treacherous path, one of both divinity and damnation. Autumn gilds the seemingly tranquil landscape, but inside the shadows lurks a treacherous and evil presence. Separated by leagues of wilderness across a vast continent, Roman and Julian must fight for their survival against an ancient force set in motion by an unsuspecting young woman, and a mysterious beast intent on setting its world back in order. The greatest strength, and danger, will be found…Within

    And yes, my initials are S.I.N. A funny little piece of whimsical humor my parents found amusing when I arrived. Then, it turned out to be true. Looking back with wiser eyes now, my family and I concluded that the events leading up to my transformation started the summer I turned nine. But the day we realized there was a problem, and no turning back, was a week before I started my senior year at Junction City High. The day the fangs and claws appeared and the monster inside of me emerged. When mutilated corpses appeared near a pile of brush down by Caney Creek, everything changed. Because evil woke up and growled, its ominous rumblings heard by every living thing in Locasia County, Mississippi.

    Caught unprepared on a treacherous pass, poor visibility and icy conditions lead to a crash. She lay immobile in her vehicle, stranded in a ditch in the most remote leg of her journey. A faceless hero comes to her rescue and Noel has no choice but to wait out the blizzard in her rescuer’s unique cabin nestled in the woods. Everything about Grayson James peaks her curiosity—his valor, air of mystery and most of all, undeniable attractiveness. For three days and nights, passions are unleashed and unexpected emotions are brought to life. When the storm breaks, Grayson vanishes into thin air, but not before revealing startling news that leaves her questioning her sanity. Fast forward years later and Noel is in the southernmost part of the United States. She’d come seeking solace after her husband’s tragic death, but what finds her in Key West is more than she ever anticipated. In the sultry summer, her unbridled winter’s ecstasy resurrects. And so does the Vampire.

    With the eleven kingdoms preparing for war and with a dangerous, religious cult in power he finds himself in an unlikely partnership with a wanted criminal. Together, the two of them must travel across the continent, one seeking his long lost friend and the other on a quest for the truth. Along the way each discovers himself as well as a new love that neither of them thought possible.

    A shape-shifting scoundrel on the run from the mob stumbles on the secret to escaping the end of the world. A radioactive man desperate for a cure is sold into service as a reluctant assassin.Welcome to Freecity, the semi-lawless metropolis that floats in a seasonal circuit around a vast border sea. Home to every vice imaginable, it's where the wealthy and decadent from every country come to play. And it's about to explode.After the mysterious death of a kingpin, the city erupts in gangland violence just as a cadre of secret agents seeking to reignite an ancient war prepare to release their ultimate weapon. But in a town of killers and con men, will anyone care enough to stand in their way?Dinosaurs. Robots. War dragons. Cannibal fairies. UFOs. Unicorns. Wereninjas. Nazi Amazons. A brain in a vat. A giant squid. An assassin cult. And a kaiju god of destruction. The battle for the fate of the world starts with a betrayal in a cemetery... and a bag of dicks.Equal parts mystery, retro sci-fantasy, and mutant crime noir, FANTASMAGORIA is a flagrantly sensational modern-age pulp.

    Now, however, things may be about to change. Pitched into the heart of the conflict are four people: Morgan, a veteran warrior charged with an important mission; Cheris, a gifted but wayward sorceress called from her exile on a remote island; Ceriana Hartfield, a noblewoman whose marriage is pre-empted by a chance discovery on a beach; and Cygan, a man from the desolate marshes seeking aid against a merciless foe. Between them, could they hold the key to ending this deadly conflict? But at what cost? This extraordinary epic is a gripping, searing tale of the ugliness of war and the dangers of power.

    Included are:A NOTE ABOUT HODGSON, by Darrell SchweitzerNOTES ON HODGSON, by H. P. LovecraftTHE MYSTERY OF THE DERELICTA TROPICAL HORROROUT OF THE STORMTHE FINDING OF THE "GRAIKEN"ELOI ELOI LAMA SABACHTHANITHE TERROR OF THE WATER-TANKTHE ALBATROSSTHE HAUNTING OF THE LADY SHANNONTHE SHAMRAKEN HOMEWARD-BOUNDERON THE BRIDGETHE CAPTAIN OF THE ONION BOATTHE WEED MENTHE SEA HORSESMY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED THE HOUSE OF PRAYERFROM THE TIDELESS SEATHROUGH THE VORTEX OF A CYCLONEGREY SEAS ARE DREAMING OF MY DEATH (poem)THE DERELICTTHE BAUMOFF EXPLOSIVEA TROPICAL HORRORDEMONS OF THE SEAJACK GREY, SECOND MATETHE STONE SHIPTHE THING IN THE WEEDSTHE VOICE IN THE NIGHTTHE GATEWAY OF THE MONSTER (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 1)THE HOUSE AMONG THE LAURELS (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 2)THE WHISTLING ROOM (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 3)THE HORSE OF THE INVISIBLE (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 4)THE SEARCHER OF THE END HOUSE (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 5) THE THING INVISIBLE (Carnacki the Ghost Finder No. 6)THE GHOST PIRATESTHE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLANDTHE BOATS OF THE "GLEN CARRIG" GREY SEAS ARE DREAMING OF MY DEATH (poem)And if you enjoy this volume, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see all the other entries in this great series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns, classics -- and much, much more!

    Some people may find this story disturbing.When your own mind is tricking you, who can you believe?Having to figure out whether she was alive or dead had never figured in her dreams or her nightmares. Climbing out of a grave was Nefer’s first mistake. Falling in love again, with the same man she’d met a thousand times before, was her second. Sometimes you have to lose before you can get up and fill the evil ones with a truckload of bullets.Even a nemesis has her off days.

    However, the portrait may be a hundred years old, and only the greatest sorcerer in the land can verify her existence. Unfortunately, Turold the Magnificent is currently on trial for maliciously impersonating a person of quality and despoiling her family history. Harold gets him off on the condition that they locate his lady love before his wedding to Sonya, who vows to kill him on their wedding night. Along with his faithless Russian servant, Dimitri, the three steal off to locate the true identity of the sitter—only to confront a curse much older than the portrait. To dispel the curse the prince must lead a revolution, fall in love with his wife, and release the centuries-old hands of Einhard the Black, who are eagerly awaiting their latest victim.

    The Merlins and Arthurs, if you will. Too rarely do we get to glimpse the other side of the coin. The Madam Mims and Morgan le Fays certainly had their own humble beginnings, but those stories are seldom told. Those climbs to power are somehow neglected. But within the pages of The Tatterwing Chronicles you'll find such a story. A story of a young girl taking her first steps to becoming a notorious witch known as Tatterwing. A story of her rise to power, her flirtation with the darkness, and her tendency to ride the line between hero and villain as the odds stack against her. Book one finds young Medo as a child of thirteen living deep in the bowels of the swamp, before she's seen the outside world. Before anyone has heard her name.

     Fiction: Bad Seed (Broken Empire) by Mark Lawrence Shadow Hunter (Shadows of the Apt) by Adrian Tchaikovsky The Woman I Used to Be by Gerri Leen The Neutral by Anatoly Belilovsky (translator) and Mike Gelprin (author) The Red Wraith by Nick Wisseman Non-Fiction: An interview with Joe Abercrombie An interview with Graham McNeill Book Review: Joe Abercrombie's Half a King - review by Kyle Massa Article: Grimdark is Here to Stay by Layla Cummins

    Do not interfere with someone's death.2. Do not become emotionally involved.3. Do not show yourself to the living.As a grim reaper, seventeen-year-old Xia has to follow these Rules. But when she meets Shilah, a Native American boy who can see reapers, she figures the rules don't apply. To find out why he can see her, she pretends to be human, since carrying a scythe probably isn't the latest teen craze. Things become unnerving as she begins experiencing first-time affection with Shilah, but she's irreversibly drawn to him. Suddenly Xia finds herself breaking Rule Two, even while collecting dead souls behind Shilah's back. It isn't long before she is caught red-handed by the Angel of Death himself, and then not only is her relationship at risk, but also Shilah's soul. And this leaves Xia wondering: can love overcome Death?

    There's even a section collecting formative writing from Keene's early teenage years. Be it the original, unpublished ending to THE RISING or his pitch for the TERMINATOR series, this book is a gold-mine of rarities and oddities sure to satisfy even the most hardcore Brian Keene fan. This book will never be reprinted, so don't miss your chance to peek inside the vault before the doors close forever!

    There is an evil held captive in the vast wilderness surrounding the town of Spiritwood. When Jed Guiness buys a place and moves to Spiritwood from Chicago, he accidently unleashes that evil. Now, he and a handful of others must try to re-capture that evil before the entire town is destroyed.Quotes:“I wouldn’t stick my head in there for a hundred bucks.”“She thinks that there’s no such thing in the woods...”“I think there might be a sacrifice tonight.”Excerpt:His heart hammered in his thin chest when the sound came again, and his eyes went wide with fear. Bishop made his way to the window in his room and looked toward the porch. It was a starless night, black as a mine and he could barely make out the porch rail. The heat lightning flashed, showing only a pale, sleeveless arm, smeared with some reddish brown substance and speckled with bits of leaves and twigs. The hand was thick and fleshy, the fingernails black with grime. Bishop jumped with the roll of thunder that followed, but it got him moving. He headed through the dark to the living room, where he thought he could get a better view of the porch.Outside the wind picked up a little, billowing the curtains in through the open windows, then sucking them to the screens in the next breath. The lightning flashed again, leaving an X-ray image of the room before his eyes. Bishop crept to the window closest to the porch, kneeling on the couch and leaning over the back. He looked past the curtain, craning his neck for a better view.The visitor had moved closer to the door, revealing no more than he could see from his room. Bishop noticed that the breeze blowing in through the window came in as cold as a grave and the skin on his back came up in chill bumps. It smelled of death.The knock came again, followed by the knob turning back and forth. Bishop was paralyzed with fear. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to call out to the intruder to get away, or call to his mother for her to get up, but his vocal cords wouldn’t cooperate.The knocking became more insistent, increasing from a tap-tap-tapping to a solid thudding that resounded through the room. The door handle turned again, and Bishop said a silent prayer of thanks that he’d remembered to lock up when he came in, but then it creaked in its frame like the visitor leaned his shoulder against it measuring its strength.

    Feeling the weight of the metal collar around his neck, Jae is left alone to contemplate his own fate. Will the afternoon session finally Break him? Will it kill him? Or will he end up like the boy, a helpless pawn neither living nor dead?

    A mercenary sent alone to rescue her. Time is running out, the odds are against him and he must play a dangerous game to survive... High up in the fells, a mercenary called Valguard pits himself against a band of vicious thieves and seemingly impossible odds on a daring night-time raid on a remote, fortified stronghold to rescue a hostage. Meanwhile, his employer, The Duke, waits at the border for news of the mission. Will he outwit the ruthless group of over twenty bandits known as The Cutters? Or has his luck ran out and this time he has been sent by his friend to a very bloody death? The first Valguard book and prologue to the forthcoming novel ‘Ten of Swords’.

    Real bullets, it would seem. The politicians crumpled, twitched, and sagged to the ground, in a manner familiar to devotees of leftwing arthouse movies. Then the eyes of the squad turned towards me.’ After the plague, most of us are dead, and some of the survivors aren't behaving very well. But we can still have a laugh, can't we? Letting go is for softies. I'm alone – delightfully and comfortably alone. I don’t do crying… That’s the wonky philosophy of Billie, a dollywaggler on a far from sentimental journey. The Eppie – a worldwide flu pandemic – has left London with nothing but a few beastly survivors with appallingly unwholesome habits. Watch out for Rodney; he is particularly nasty. Oh, and don’t try to escape the madness by fleeing to the country – things may be even worse out there. Besides, a greater intelligence is planning to identify and control the living remnants nationwide, as order begins to be restored. It's time to find out who the real dollywagglers are.

    from An Apple for the CreatureClora, a girl of particularly gruesome talents, must choose to defy her teacher and the woman who raised her—or else risk losing her soul.

    Beth Carmichael and her husband, Casey, uncover much more than Civil War history. Beth discovers a connection to a past life when she encounters the ghost of her young son, killed by the cruel mistress of an orphanage. Both the ghost of the small boy and the demon who killed him follow the couple home. The beautifully wicked succubus targets Beth's husband in a bid for his soul. Beth and Geraldine Knight, a paranormal researcher, determine their only hope of saving them all is to destroy the demon. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients necessary to solve their problem is impossible to obtain — unless Beth is willing to do some very gruesome "collecting" from the morgue.On the trail of a horrific murder, Police Sergeant Mark Stoner is in close pursuit when Beth and Geraldine finally confront the Queen of all succubi, Nahema. The shocking triple-twist ending leaves the reader wanting more, but hoping the nightmare is over. Is it?

    Some are new and the others have been expanded and revised from the original versions. The Moon on the Water: The tale of the love between a goddess and a warrior and the terrible curse it brought. The Tale of Treyna the Beloved: When a mortal woman is pursued by two rival gods even the heavens are wrought by magic. Storm-Born: A lonely magician finds companionship with a creature of the storm but magic demands a price, what price will it be? The Blue Phial: A lesson in listening to instruction carefully, lest one makes an embarrassing mistake. The Legend of Oeliana: A story of a nymph and a toad, jealous magic and debts repaid.

    Across the gulfs of space and time Ahriman, the Dark Planet, spreads Its tendrils to Earth, spawning our nightmares, infecting mankind with madness and ruin. The Order of Ahriman − the cabal of sorcerers that has claimed Simon − harnesses the shadowy essence of the Planet as a weapon against it but doing so requires riding a razor’s edge of sanity and corruption. Now he must battle the darkness both within and without, and find his true power before the forces that claimed his family plunge him, and then the world, into final oblivion.

    After the battle in Thessaloniki, the Council is on the run. Just when final victory appears imminent, Josh’s mother is murdered. The prime suspect is his father.Once Josh was integral to the Council’s plans for world domination. Now Josh learns his cousin, Travis, is the one set to activate the Verdenstab. If he does, the Orpheans, demonic allies to the Council, will escape the Black Sea, a pocket dimension that serves as their prison. In a last-ditch effort to prevent the invasion, Wisdom and Josh use an ancient portal hidden beneath Gobekli Tepe to enter the Black Sea. The rest of the team – a pyrokinetic, a telepath, and a mercenary – head to stop Travis from activating a device.The end is closer than anyone suspects. The Activation is set to happen tomorrow.

    Her new assignment? Track down the culprit in the mysterious death of a student at Clearwell High. And incidentally, uncover the identity of the new drug dealer prowling the halls. Only one problem—the body she has to co-inhabit has a different agenda. Elizabeth just wants to be prom queen, marry Prince Charming, and graduate with perfect posture. Both girls, alive and dead, will have their separate worlds rocked before the killer is unveiled. Nothing is as it seems. No one can be trusted. Being dead has never been so dangerous.

    One night, Brannick returns from work to find an eerie messenger in his flat who warns him of dark things to come. When his next case involves a victim who suffered from consumption, he uncovers clues that lead him to believe the messenger's warning. Despite his incredulity, he can’t help but wonder if the practical man he once was has been altered by an investigation encompassed in the paranormal. That is, until he meets the witch hunters, and everything takes a turn for the worse. * * * 'Suspense builds all the way from the first page to the last page of Justin Alcala's CONSUMED. And a Victorian Britain backdrop enriches the story even more by creating a lively setting--a setting that will remained burned in readers' minds long after they finish the book. Readers will not be disappointed by this captivating novel, and I look forward to reading future works by the author.' - Chris Bedell, Burning Bridges

    In the late 1800’s Odara, a Creole girl in New Orleans, grew up wealthy and having the best of everything. She was taught the ways of plaçage: to be a wealthy man’s common-law wife. She didn't want to follow the ways of plaçage as her mother had, until she met the man of her dreams, Henry Nicolas. He was handsome, charming and rich; perfect in every way until their first night of marriage when she saw his true malevolent side. For twelve long years Odara endured abuse in the worst ways possible, taking her from a naive child to a scorned woman. A woman fueled with such revulsion towards Henry she would give anything for vengeance. Through voodoo, Madame Lilly was born, but with it came consequences beyond even her comprehension.

    In Canada he wouldn't be decapitated or have a stake driven through his heart. He would receive benefit of the law. And that's what happens to Dragul Mangorian who appears to be the sole-surviving member of a sub-species of homo sapiens that through evolution is forced to feed on human blood. His trial creates a world-wide sensation and after an unusual defence, is acquitted. As a vampire, Mangorian is the ultimate 'bad boy.' He becomes television's #1 Late Night talk show host and with his lawyer/partner Al Hamblyn enjoy fortune and world-wide fame . . . until the murders start up. The story is a psychological thriller with dramatic twists, humour, and heart-pounding action scenes. If you aren't a vampire or horror fan, don't leave. Late Bite turns the vampire myth on its head and opens the genre to a whole new audience.

    Stories include: Black Sword by Janet Morris and Chris Morris The Act of Sleepless Nights by Walter Rhein To Kill a Myth by Jesse Duckworth No Life Too Small by Douglas R. Brown To Live by Tom Barczak Dozen by Shane Porteous Just One Mistake by A.L. Butcher Witness to Death by Teel James Glenn Through the Sting of Fairy Smoke by R.A. McCandless

    Alsroc who continues to pursue a cure.Krista is now burdened with protecting her friend Marilyn’s dark secret and Paladin’s pressing offer. He promises her safekeeping at the price of exposing her people’s history to him – what will he use that knowledge for?In the underworld, Darkwing’s quest to find Krista grows more complex. His morals are challenged, threatening any hope of seeing her again.Malpherities, Krista’s ghostly companion, urges her to keep her mind focused on Dreadweave Pass and ignore her issues at the High Barracks of Zingalg. The two are forced to partner with an immoral paladin who has a personal interest in helping Krista escape from hell. Meanwhile the corrupt god, the Weaver, strains his army to find the young girl. They send a fallen angel who is determined to bring her to the Weaver so he can use her blood in his necromantic ritual that will set him free!

    In a land of forbidden magic a mysterious cave holds both riches and danger for three adventurers, when they discover a mighty treasure and a terrible secret.

    She may be the daughter of an MP and the sister of famed inventor Lord David Hart, but she is a spinster whose own father threatens to send her to the madhouse every fortnight. Because Society is correct-Verity Hart is no lady. If they suspected how quick with a quip she is, let alone the majority of her brother's ingenious machines were her design, the sale of fainting couches would double.Verity requires one herself when her beloved brother is kidnapped by vampyres in the dead of night. With the aid of an aggravating, rude American bounty hunter with a secret of his own, Verity takes to land, sea, and even air to rescue the only person who could ever love and truly accept her. Or is he?

    As a female, being top inventor for the Alliance of Silver and Steam has as many draw backs as perks. She’s in charge of the creation of the many tools the Alliance uses in pursuit of the demons that run lose in the London Underground, which means without her, the demons would be harder to put down. It also means she misses all of the action and has never had the chance to really use any of her inventions. Lucius Cooley Willan is a Nightmare Demon with a penchant for gambling and sleeping with women he shouldn’t’t and it’s landed him in hot water. Now he spends his nights slinking in humans dreams and unleashing terrors so strong it kills them so he can capture their soul for his boss. But when he’s ordered to attack the group that hunts his kind he’s enthralled by the feisty inventor he comes upon. Eliza’s victim to Lucius in a way no others have been, a sensual dream that she can’t shake when she wakes up. When he bumps into her at the trains she’s an addiction he can’t shake. When he outright disobeys the demon who controls him for some out of dreams interactions with the Eliza, it will be up to him to save her from the nightmare he’s put her in.

    A quest of outmost peril with no guaranteed return. How far would you go to regain true-love? It's darker than a man trying to redeem his loved one: he forsook her for ultimate power! A mighty Necromancer must trespass into hell and face the Devil himself. Frozen emotions thaw as purpose springs to life. It was not his ambitious conquest of the world that impassioned him, but the dead-end of a now broken delusion. After eons of eternal life, King Deathenor yearns to undo the bargain he struck with the Devil in exchange for ultimate power. He craves to redeem his shattered soul. Summoned by the awakening of a dusty theory, he contemplates trespassing into hell to relinquish the contract he signed with blood. Everything is at stake. Failure is not an option. If he prevails, death after corresponded love shall be his greatest triumph.Burrow for free or purchase a copy for $0.99:Amazon: http://bit.ly/EternalRedemption

    Within its dusky walls dwell beings of macabre whimsy, headed by the pedant demon, Bordeaux, and the hedonistic gorgon, Lady Libra. These apparitions are content to live out their eternity in the half-lit gloom; that is until the arrival of a certain uninvited guest – a live human being – imperils the concealment of Tenebrae Manor and the livelihood of its residents. And in the forest surrounding a new threat emerges – a threat that is rattling the once still trees, and dooming the manor towards irreparable decay. But the characters are unmoored. While some seem desperate to maintain ascendancy over their ruinous home, others adopt a façade of mischievous indifference that could undo them all. And is Tenebrae Manor even worth saving? After all, eternity is a frightfully long time to spend alone...

    An antique mirror, bought at a garage sale, reflects more than it should. A strange fungal growth on a cellar wall tries to communicate. In the corner of a thrift store, a sentient leather jacket waits patiently. A young couple discovers a very unusual elevator in their newly purchased home. In these and the other stories in this collection, things are never quite what they seem. The world is a mysterious place full of shadows and dark corners where anything can happen—and does.

    Deliciously inhuman, paranormal sexiness! *NO CLIFFHANGERS* Are you THIRSTING for the unusual? Try thousand-year-old vampires, Latin and French vamps, vampire Earls, sexy Native American vampires and even berserker vampires! This bundle will slake your THIRST for otherworldly, hot and sexy, unique vampire stories. EIGHT creative and original stories that prove, one little seductive bite doesn't hurt. ------ Vampire Berserker by Carl East: A vampire that needs to feed on other vampires in order to survive. The Vampire and the Rose by Yvonne Anthony: Rose’s mother has often warned her to stay away from dark places—especially at night, but curious Rose will ignore the warnings, jumping headlong into danger with startling consequences. Dark Velvet by Lisa Carlisle: Savannah is thrilled for her residency at an art colony where she meets the sculptor Antoine. She discovers his dark secret, putting her life in jeopardy. Vampire Lords of Blacknall by Shirl Anders: Only a creature of the night can save her. Lady Beth never stays home in the evenings. She fears her evil stepbrother. Then a monster stalks her in the dark and she cannot tell beast from savior. The Vixen Torn by J.E. & M. Keep: Anjasa has been through the worst parts of hell and come back from it wounded but stronger. A trained assassin and courtesan, she’s seen the worst in others… and herself. When Comes the Night by Anita Dobs: Trying to leave a troubled past far behind, Stacy escapes to England, but gets more than she bargained for when she meets Rafe Hawkins, the mysterious C.E.O at the renowned Sirius Advertising Agency. Ash: Before Dawn by Skye Eagleday: Ash drank deeply of the blood of his enemies at Custer’s Last Stand. Now the beautiful Native American Vampire hunts in the gay bars of Seattle, where he will face an ancient Vampire far more deadly than the troops at Little Big Horn. Will he and his new human lover be able to use his powers of seduction and warrior skills to survive until dawn? Love Blind by Claudia D. Christian: 1978. Rio de Janeiro. Josephine made a desperate bargain with a vampire named Julio Alberto. Her life for another. Kept in a gilded cage, will she ever allow herself to truly love her charming captor?

    Many of the leading figures in the field engage in multimedia enterprises that allow their work to reach a much wider public than the mere readers of books. In Disorders of Magnitude: A Survey of Dark Fantasy, Jason V Brock analyzes the intersection of literature, media, and genre fiction in essays, reviews, and pioneering interviews. Beginning with the pulp magazines of the 1920s, Brock studies such dynamic figures as H. P. Lovecraft, Forrest J Ackerman, Harlan Ellison, and the Southern California writers known collectively as "The Group"-Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Rod Serling, and William F. Nolan. This collection also includes filmmakers Roger Corman, George Romero, and Dan O'Bannon, and such fantasy artists as H. R. Giger. Graced with dozens of photographs from the author's personal collection, this wide-ranging study offers a kaleidoscopic look at the multifarious ways in which fantasy, horror, and the supernatural have permeated our culture. Brock-himself a fiction writer, critic, and filmmaker-concludes the book with touching eulogies to the recently deceased Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen. Highlighting so many figures essential to the understanding of fantasy and horror, Disorders of Magnitude will appeal to fans of these fiction genres around the world.

    A rare mix of light and dark elf, Aldara is herself conflicted, much like her war-ravaged land, often twisting right and wrong to suit her needs. Aldara finds herself in the midst of a deep dilemma when she sacrifices her friend Wyndle in a bid to save her own life. Trouble ensues when she realizes she may have just delivered the one who can protect her realm from evil directly into the hands of the ruthless dark elf queen. Aldara joins the quest to rescue Wyndle, but is her offer to help genuine - or a dark, clever ruse? Sylvanor: The Secret of Under Hollow is the first in a multi-book saga for adolescent readers, centered around themes of self-acceptance and discovery of the hero within. The fantasy novel offers a compelling read that will resonate with teens, young adults and anyone struggling to fit in.

    As life and true death experiences bond the master vampire and his newly transformed vampire canine together, they unravel a conspiracy that when resolved may return Selene, the love of Brogio’s life, back to him and set him free from the lonely existence that has plagued him for thousands of years! ˃˃˃ Begin the Adventure From the author of Luke’s Tale, follow Snow Blood, an epic story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog! Follow along with a weekly episode for the next six weeks starting March 3rd, 2014! ˃˃˃ One time series... Every Tuesday until April 18th, a new episode of Snow Blood will be available for purchase. Follow the story of Snow Blood, a vampire dog! Scroll up and get your copy of the adventure today!

    He had lived an ordinary life, but everything changes the night of the accident. His sister’s car is demolished by a drunk driver, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. But with simply the touch of his hand, Drayton heals her. He has no idea how he did it, and soon everyone is calling it a miracle. Less than a week later, someone attempts to murder Drayton. Confused and trying to deal with what’s happening to him, Drayton spends the next several years on the run, moving from town to town, working odd jobs, barely staying one step ahead of the Unknowns, a mysterious, powerful group who wants him dead. Unwilling to remain hidden in the shadows, Drayton cures a woman of cancer, and the Unknowns come for him again. Drayton is critically wounded in the attack, and only his supernatural ability to heal himself allows his escape. A mysterious voice from the past sends Drayton on a desperate journey to the ruins of King’s Shadow, a 17th century plantation house in Virginia that was once the home of Henry King, the wealthiest and most powerful man in North America and who has now been lost to time. There, Drayton meets the beautiful archaeologist Laura Girard, who has discovered a 400-year-old manuscript in the ruins. For Drayton, this partial journal written by a slave may somehow hold the answers to his life’s mysteries. Together, Drayton and Laura desperately search for the remaining pages of the manuscript, hoping they can also survive the vicious attacks of the Unknowns. Along the way, Drayton discovers his abilities are far more remarkable than he ever imagined.

    And with the infected now outnumbering their human counterparts, chances for survival lessen with each passing day. After running out of food in his condo, Jake must make his way across the Salt Lake Valley to reach the safety of the mountains, and he must use his wiles to avoid the packs of infected roaming the streets. But Jake is haunted by a devastating personal tragedy he can't let go of, and his journey of survival quickly turns into a quest for redemption.Just as he’s about to reach the safety of the mountains, a phone call changes everything. A woman and her child need help and Jake finally sees an opportunity to redeem himself. But will his helping them put them in harm's way? Jake is being stalked by a brutal and sadistic alpha (by far the most dangerous of the infected). In the end, Jake will have to decide how far he's willing to go to keep them safe and earn the redemption he seeks.

    Their Captain, Mara, has a reputation of being a harsh woman who leads the guard with a fierce formality. During her long years, she has known pain, loss, heartache…and one great love.Edward was the Captain of the Royal Guard. He loved her once. However, it was a love that faded the day he met young Liza, the Princess who stole the heart he had once sworn belonged to Mara alone. Liza was also the woman that Mara was fated to protect. When the Queen learns of her daughter’s forbidden love for Edward, she devises a series of punishments, torturing Edward while her daughter is forced to watch. In a an act of desperation, Mara takes Liza’s place and looks on helplessly as Edward endures the torments which break his body and Mara’s soul.All of their pain is put aside when Liza is murdered by the rulers of a rival court. Haunted by her failure to protect the Princess and adhering to tradition, Mara takes the vow of the ‘Black Rose.’ It is an ancient oath which ties those under its power to abandon the lives they knew for the sake of a single goal: vengeance. Her quest leads her on a dark path of violence, rage and bloodshed.Tormented by a fate they can neither accept nor escape, Black Rose is a tale of retribution, love, and above all, honor—at any cost.

    A story of creation and the power that binds and protects a family.  The Heartsmith's Daughters originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.