But history has other plans.A magical summons back through time lands Britt into the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin. He has some bad news: the real Arthur has disappeared, and the sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place.But life in ancient Britain isn’t safe. The kingdom is fragmented, with enemies on all sides, and there’s little chance for mercy if Britt’s real identity and gender is exposed. Britt will soon find herself fighting for her life again and again on behalf of her people.And then there’s Merlin. Focused on his goal to unite Britain, he’s oblivious of Britt’s growing feelings for him. Or so she thinks. But what future can they have in a world that only sees them as monarch and confidant?

    . . Bloody murder? It’s the Annual Ambassadorial Ball in Glause, and Lady Isabella Farrah, the daughter of New Civet’s Ambassador, is feeling pleasantly scintillated. In the library is Lord Pecus, a charming gentleman whose double mask hides a beastly face, and who has decided that Isabella is the very person to break the Pecus curse. In the ball-room is young Lord Topher, who is rapidly falling in love with an older woman. And in the card-room, lying in a pool of his own blood, is the body of one of Isabella’s oldest friends: Raoul, Civet’s Head Guardsman. The papers sewn into his sash seem to suggest espionage gone wrong, but Isabella is not so certain. Lord Pecus, as Commander of the Watch, is of the opinion that Isabella should keep out of the investigation and out of danger. Isabella is of the opinion that it is her murder to investigate, and that what a certain Beast-Lord doesn’t know won’t hurt him. . . . Will Isabella find the murderer before Lord Pecus does, or will she end her investigation as a bloody spatter on the parlour floor?

    Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for your life. But this year, one brave student takes her story into her own hands and tries to shut the book on tradition. Find out if it leads to a happy ending... or a happily never after.

    “Angel, the word you’re looking for is pirate.”Strange things are happening in Neverland…Although Angelina McFarland loves reading fairytales, she never dreamed of falling right into one herself. Literally! But who is this flying boy who saved her? And why doesn’t he want to grow up?Desperately trying to find a way off this cursed island, Angelina runs into a ruthless pirate. Hook captures her and keeps her trapped on his ship, the Jolly Roger, to lure the flying boy out of his hiding. But is Hook really the heartless man she heard about? The more time Angel spends with him, the more she starts to wonder. Her growing feelings for him are as intense as shocking, and soon she can’t stop thinking about how soft his lips felt on hers when he kissed her under the stars. As time passes, an old train ticket to London is all she has left to remind her of her former life and why she can’t give up trying to find a way home.Or is staying in Neverland forever the better choice after all?Grab a happy thought and follow Angel on an adventure that will keep you breathless and smiling long after you read the last page…Mind the cliffhanger! (I’m sorry!)The sequel PAN’S REVENGE is already available.

    In a world where the lines between good and evil blur, Norah struggles to find her place. When her actions throw off the balance of the fairy tale world and happily ever afters, enemies surface, ready to destroy her at any cost.

    In the process, she'll discover that there's more to the magic pen than meets the eye and will have to journey to a mysterious land filled with familiar--and dangerous--characters. This volume contains the last three episodes of the series: Episode 10: The Black Towers Death has come again, and this time he's claimed a loved one of hero Alice Goodenough. While she reels in the aftermath of a heartbreaking loss, those around her are forced to cope with the terrible consequences of a world without a hero. Alice has learned a terrible lesson: the hero is not safe. Her loved ones are not safe. So long as the Corrupted walk the earth, death will stalk her like a shadow. In her dreams, she's plagued by a golden boy and a statue with a terrible thirst for darkness. The boy believes he is the key to saving the human race and calls to Alice while she sleeps. But can Alice pull herself from the abyss and sally forth, or will she end up in the heroes' graveyard? Episodes 11 and 12: A Dance With Death The hero's journey comes to a close in this epic two-part adventure! Alice Goodenough has passed through Death and now finds herself in a strange land with only her nemesis Sam Grayle for company. Their presence doesn't go unnoticed ... soon, they find themselves in the middle of a war between the good and the Corrupted. Old foes return. New allies are made. Lines are drawn and then crossed as the Corruption spreads, threatening to destroy the land itself and cover this strange world in darkness forever. Alice and her allies must stop it. But to do that, they'll have to find the source of the Corruption: an old enemy whose power has only grown stronger. And this time, the Golden Dragon has an army ... Like Katniss in The Hunger Games and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hero Alice Goodenough is going to need to use more than her fists if she hopes to survive this nightmare!

    He was like 12, not 17, whiny, and just downright awful...""Sounds like she hit the nail on the head," Justin chuckles again as Aiden and Eiden join him. Annoyed, he glares at them. "Do you mind?" Once their giggles run out, he sighs. "At some point in time, someone decided that my life story would make more sense if I were younger and worried about not being able to play with toys, blah, blah, blah. Truth be told, there's more to it than that."Peyton Darling, high school senior, is a perennial wallflower who keeps her nose to her sketchbook. Everybody else might think that moving from city to city around the world is pretty glamorous, but Peyton is excruciatingly aware of what it really means...never fitting in. So when the mysterious and-let's face it-super hot Justin literally almost drops in her lap, she almost misses her chance at an amazing adventure in a secret world that few ever see. Just as Peyton finally starts discovering who she is, circumstances show her that her life is not what it seems. And now she has to make a choice'family or friends?

    But neither the soft-spoken Beast or the uncanny Castle where he makes his home are what Beauty expects. Both harbour more secrets than she could have anticipated, and neither will give them up easily...

    As an agent for a secret society (the Fare) is dispatched to retrieve the plans, three tweens get caught in the middle as they try to protect brilliant inventor, Nikolas Klaus. Meet Tee Baker, granddaughter of the baker from secret society The Tub and of Nikolas Klaus, and her best friends Elly and Richy, as they come together heroically for the first time as the legendary Yellow Hoods. Danger, intrigue and secrets await, and the intense grows, as the series builds. A hit with those 9-15 and adults."highly recommended" - Readers' Favorite, 5 Star The Yellow Hoods books 1 & 2 were finalists for Book of the Year in Teen/Young Adult and Fantasy - Independent Authors Network's 2015. See the trailer for The Yellow Hoods at AdamDreece.com/booktrailer

    But will stage fright get the best of the bird who does ballet? Or can she shine in the spotlight? Read this original short story about Duchess and her pet swan, Pirouette. This story by Suzanne Selfors is a companion to her novel Next Top Villain

    And they were told the story of a fierce fairy knight who now guarded the woods for the fairy queen. But Janet didn't believe in fairy stories and Janet didn't like being told what to do.

    Now they must flee their Wyoming home to escape the increasing wolf hunts caused by Kyle. With James, her alpha and intended mate, she finds refuge in the remote area of Crouch, Idaho. Now that she's settled in to her new home with the man of her dreams by her side, Tayla wonders if she’s finally found some peace, but it doesn't take long for enemies to find her. They taunt her with secrets from James’ past, and revenge stalks the pack at every turn. When James is severely wounded with an unknown poison, it is up to Tayla and her best friend, Chel, to solve the mystery of the poison’s origin and find a cure. Will they be strong enough to handle the truth they discover and defeat their enemies? Or will time run out and werewolves die?Coming soon July 19, 2014!

    When Prince Charming shows up, Raven—who is not in distress—decides to show him who’s boss. This enchanting adventure, filled with magic forests and mystical creatures, will captivate fans of fairy tales everywhere!

    Bluebeard is usually framed as a story of blood and gore, but Wiseman focuses on the love each of his unfortunate wives felt, the first blush of romance and young marriage, the complicated turns of mature desire and the past we bring into our present affections. Praise for Some Fatal Effects of Curiosity and DisobedienceSome Fatal Effects of Curiosity and Disobedience is an ingenious narrative of poems that transposes the Bluebeard myth to our contemporary lives with a chilling authenticity. The juxtapositions of desire and danger, trust and betrayal, innocence and cunning all seem absolutely modern, as if they could be happening down the street or in our own lives, even as we recognize their ancient, terrible truths. Laura Madeline Wiseman’s command of the language and balance between irony and dead seriousness is pitch-perfect and this is a haunting book. —Ellen BassWhat happens when a woman dares to enter forbidden spaces? Tucked into legend, the poems in this collection shift from sensual to sexy and from enchanting to haunting, as they explore the question. Laura Madeline Wiseman is both poet and storyteller, deftly moving back and forth through time, weaving breathtaking parts into a heart-stopping whole. —Tania Rochelle Predicated on the Bluebeard tale, Wiseman weaves a contemporary mythology that reaches more deeply and pervasively into the very human psychology and psychosis we name love. These poems traverse a dark storm of sexuality—the forbidden, the cruel, the guilty-pleasures. Lunacy and denial pulse mysteriously as mating ritual, as in these lines from “Solo Artist, Another Late Wife”: “…and she pretends for a moment / that this cheap condo is Carnegie Hall and his hands / that rain down on her are applause…” Control and conviction are knives bladed as sharply as the key to truth. Some Fatal Effects of Curiosity and Disobedience is erotic, disturbing, and utterly compelling. This collection, the stuff of nightmarish transformations, may cause you to see an altered face when you gaze in your day-lit mirror. —Lana Hechtman Ayers Wiseman’s imagination is expansive, sultry, and wild. Some Fatal Effects of Curiosity and Disobedience is a masterpiece of antonyms. Wiseman’s speaker first appears to be a traditional woman: married, want of secrets, but curious and complex. Like many women, she wrestles with society’s fetters, which is easily identifiable and sympathetic. It is in this way she acts as a great literary heroine; the reader, perhaps lost themselves, roots for her to find her footing. Just as we think we have her understood, the book quickly transforms from a biography of a marriage into a lesson in the subversive. Wiseman’s speaker does reference work in the taboo. She struggles with the direction of her sexuality, fidelity, even marrying her late sister’s dangerous husband seems to be out of her control. She has simultaneous desires: to be dominant, to be taken, to be voyeur/watched, to be pursued/left alone, to be safe, to be killed. Ultimately, this book begs the question: how well can we ever know those closest to us? And perhaps more importantly, how well can we ever know ourselves? —Danielle SellersDrawing from Bluebeard and other renderings of misogynistic myth, Wiseman captures the universal experience of love skewed by an imbalance of power. Seduction, eroticism, betrayal, self-knowledge in the aftermath—it’s all here in this beautiful book, in fierce, aching lines chiseled with elegance and compression. —Rebecca Foust

    That is a fact, and fifteen-year-old Lily Sparrow loves factual, mathematical logic. So when her mother confesses that Lily’s deceased father is (a) not dead, (b) coming to dinner, and (c) the ruler of a fairy tale kingdom accessible through the upstairs bathtub, Lily clings to her math to help her make sense of this new double life (1 life in the real world + 1 secret life in the fairy tale world = a double life). Even though it’s not mathematical, Lily finds herself being pulled into a mystery involving an unhappy Cinderella, a greasy sycophant called Levi, and a slew of vanishing fairy tale characters. Racing against the clock, with a sound mathematical plan, Lily attempts to save her fairy tale friends while proving that normality = happiness.

    There she meets Prince Henry of Fallund, a neighboring kingdom on the brink of war. Meanwhile, Prince Henry's brother Duncan discovers a vicious beast imprisoned for murder. Captivated by her, he works to free her from both the prison bars she's locked behind and the ones surrounding her heart and mind. Sleeping Beauty and the Beast reinvents and seamlessly intertwines the classic fairy tales Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

    Their presence doesn't go unnoticed ... soon, they find themselves in the middle of a war between the good and the Corrupted. Old foes return. New allies are made. Lines are drawn and then crossed as the Corruption spreads, threatening to destroy the land itself and cover this strange world in darkness forever.Alice and her allies must stop it. But to do that, they'll have to find the source of the Corruption: an old enemy whose power has only grown stronger. And this time, the Golden Dragon has an army ...Like Katniss in The Hunger Games and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hero Alice Goodenough is going to need to use more than her fists if she hopes to survive this nightmare!

    Her Bad-Boy Prince Charming is a renowned mercenary, and their Happy Ending plays out like a bad movie. However, she is determined to breakout from her tower prison-love be damned-and do it in a fabulous pair of heels. *** Gunned down by the Mercenary, the deadliest assassin in The Badass Archives, isn't exactly Rapunzel's end-game. Falling for him isn't either, but his Rated-R demeanor is strangely charming. Even though most girls wouldn't fall for their captors, Rapunzel isn't like most dames. Her major girl-boner for the Mercenary is so pathetic it verges on clich�. Yet, in spite of his appeal, Rapunzel must escape before she's locked away in the Ch�teau de Immortelle's highest tower-forever.

    It features retellings of your favorite fairy tales and of tales you've never heard. The fairy tales are suitable for teens and older readers alike, mixing steampunk fiction with magical elements in a fantasy world on threshold of technological advance. If the traditional “once upon a time” opening still captures your imagination, you will love these tales.

    She asked for her own version of "Beauty and the Beast meets Cinderella" and has loved the story ever since.

    Forced to wait outside while Buck testifies, Alice cracks open the doors to watch from the halls. Unfortunately, she's too distracted by the events unfolding in the court room to notice the tolling of the bells. When the shadows start to seep from the walls, Alice knows she must find a safe place to hide or else face the evil that has come to find her.Alice's adventure through the house and surrounding gardens sees her introduced to a motley crew of interesting characters. Unsure of who is friend or foe, she makes her way back, with her dog Rabbit, to the courtroom and the friend that needs her, all while being stalked by the determined centaur. Join Alice Hill in Silent Wonderland as she unravels the mysteries of Looking Mansion.

    What if your first kiss resulted in your date turning into a toad? What if you went on a date with a centaur? Follow Cindy Eller and her family as they tell the stories of their first kisses... and near misses. Enjoy this collection of ten short stories by Elizabeth A Reeves plus two bonus stories from authors Rebekah Leeson and Peg Lewis.

    Lee The Last of the Jinn Pregnant and enslaved by her own husband, Malah must find a way to steal her powers back and escape. The Ticking Ring Ella is an American woman that has found true love in Ireland. She never knew that the man of her dreams had a secret, or that his secret could remove her from the mortal world... Bonus Material Chapter One of Netherworld: The Chronicles of Koa Book One.

    But Elsa Vogel still has her duty, and she will do it, no matter the peril, no matter the anguish in her heart as she leaves her ravaged home planet, perhaps never to return. And the same tragedy that tore Elsa’s life to pieces also transformed the lives of others. Others who may need a reason to go on living, after the cataclysmic Battle of Castle Nebula.If you enjoyed the world of A Cinder’s Tale in the Five Glass Slippers anthology, explore that universe further in The Cendrillon Cycle, a series of novellas recounting the past and future adventures of Elsa, Karl, Bruno, and the rest of the cinder crew.

    . . or so she thinks. But when Dandelion ends up trapped in a forest, and surviving on, well, dandelions, she must rethink everything she's ever known to be true about herself. This 21st-century retelling of Rapunzel revisits themes from the original fairy tale through the lens of the modern world.

    Accustomed to living in the shadow of her famous older brother, she keeps busy exploring the surrounding lands while avoiding boring royal social events. But when Prince Charming starts rescuing one girl after another, proposing marriage to them, and then breaking off the engagement only days later, Maxine realizes that somebody has to put a stop to the madness before her brother's antics start wars against the Charming Kingdom. Well-equipped with her wits, an unusual gift from her fairy godmother, and an extraordinary mode of transportation, she follows her brother on his latest quest to the faraway peaks in the east. Along the way, she encounters a host of people who may or may not be what they seem. And when Maxine discovers that the Charming Kingdom is being threatened by an unlikely source, she finds that it's up to her to stage the greatest rescue of all.

    Clair on an errand to the wilds of Wales. Although weather and circumstance conspire to trap her, Ivy embraces this last gasp of adventure before she has to settle into marriage. Even if she must contend with the Monster Earl. Scarred and disfigured in a carriage accident, Auburn Seaton, Earl Tamberlake, prefers solitude to society. Aware of the moniker the ton has given him, he embraces the darkness. When Ivy disrupts his world, he is forced to confront the shadows she reveals and face the light—the light she embodies. But she has a duty to her family that doesn’t include him. Besides, no one can expect her to choose a monster. Can one?

    Even today, Ladybird's Well-loved Tales are still beloved by adults and children alike.First published in 1968, this beautiful book has been specially re-released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ladybird Books in 2015. Complete with stunning dust jacket, this limited edition facsimile copy of the original book by Vera Southgate has all the beautiful, memorable pictures that people remember, now available for a new generation to fall in love with.

    She is haunted by the terrifying memories of losing her family and sisters in a flash flood as a child. Now, as she reaches the age of her Rumspringa, Zelda is faced with loss again when her beloved Aunt Miriam falls victim to a mysterious illness that leaves her exhausted, weak, and eventually forces her into an unexplainable sleep. As Zelda desperately searches for answers, a terrifying omen leads her to believe that maybe she is responsible. And when a second tragedy strikes her adoptive family, Zelda fears the worst. Can Zelda find a way to save the ones she loves? Or is she truly cursed? Find out in Book 3 of the Amish Fairy Tales series by Rachel Stoltzfus.

    Nobles and royals must spend twenty years at least serving as peace healers to those who were devastated during these conflicts. Ishana, the youngest of her sisters, remains alone in the old Fortress of Elspeem, preparing for her time to go forth and serve. But a young mermaid, Uaso, changes everything when she rescues a drowning man and turns to Ishana for help. Though barely thirteen years old, Uaso wishes to marry the man and begs Ishana for her help. Ishana finds herself conflicted because of Uaso's youth and her own feelings for the stranger. And a bad situation becomes worse when a fae princess is murdered at the time of the mermaid's shocking arrival and transformation.

    Pieter has grown up in a town without joy, without hope, without music. Yet his heart is full of songs and tunes he cannot express. He often escapes to the side of Koppelberg Mountain, the very spot where the children disappeared, and there he can hear what he thinks no one else can—the notes of the Piper’s song still floating on the air. But there is another who hears: Old Simon, who as a boy, was left behind. Pieter’s musical gift creates a connection with the piper of legend, but will Pieter be able to control the magic of his music or will it control him, as it did the Pied Piper?

    In modern times, he is known as both a player and a hard-nosed businessman. When his nefarious attempts to seduce a young virgin earn him the attention of an angry enchantress, he finds himself cursed to spend his life in the rather unappealing form of a beast. Since his employees benefited from his underhanded ways, the curse also captures several dozen other residents of the town of Elmwood, none of whom are too happy about being swept away from their families and friends into Sam’s cursed world. Unfortunately, since the only way to break the curse is to find true love, and since he is now cursed to spend his life with a bunch of people who pretty much despise him, Sam quickly realizes that things don’t look so good for his return to a normal life. When Dr. Lily Ross first arrived in Elmwood, it was obvious to her that the townspeople shared some deep dark secret. But it isn’t until one Samael Boothe badly injures himself, and a call for help is made, that Lily is told of what happened in Elmood years ago. She compassionately agrees to step through an open portal into a world that revolves around a beast of a man. But Lily has her own ideas about what her life in this alternate place is going to look like, and it sure doesn’t involve servitude to a bad-tempered patient. Despite Sam's irritating personality and Lily's lack of sympathy for his whole beastly-plight thing, an unusual friendship starts to develop between them. With the support and friendship of a variety of crazy inhabitants of this alternate cursed reality, Lily and Sam slowly move toward what could be a fairy-tale ending – IF Sam’s animal instincts don’t completely screw things up along the way. Note from the author: I have always loved the story of Beauty and the Beast, ever since I was a little girl. But when I grew up, the whole Stockholm Syndrome piece of the story irritated me – did I really want a woman to fall in love with the man who imprisoned her, just because her father plucked a rose from his property? Um, no. So I took a few liberties with the story line, while ultimately remaining true to the original plot. No helpless heroine for me, no sir. I hope you enjoy Lily’s story.

     Her ghostly appearance created such an uproar that she often found it easier to retreat into the woods amongst the man-eating spiky bindles who were not as skittish. One day, while gathering mushrooms and thistles (she was not the "flowers and berries" sort of princess), she happened upon a charmingly squat little cottage. Peering in through the open window, she marveled to see that all the furniture inside was very small. She counted seven little wooden chairs around a long, cluttered table. Up against the far wall, she saw a rocking chair, a broom, a mop and a basket full of moth-eaten socks. Oh no! she thought. I'm not falling into this kind of trap. I'm not doing anyone's cleaning or mending. I'm a proper princess! She turned to run, only to stumble over a row of neatly dressed dwarves in fashionable suits and patent leather penny loafers. They all had abnormally good hair and capped teeth. Immediately she knew she was in the worst danger of her life.

    While Carmella, your sweetheart, is selling fudge treats around town, she strays into the woods nearby. As she approaches a forsaken castle, she is kidnapped by Hydra, a fierce serpent-like woman. Hydra tells you that the only way she will release Carmella is if you take her place. This fresh retelling of a classic fairytale is like no other. Navigate through the forsaken castle, learn about Hydra, choose your battles carefully and make your choices wisely.You may even fall in love, but with whom?Your choices lead to 14 Endings!Explore-A-Quest is an exciting series, created by author Anthony Lampe, which features a diverse selection of interactive adventures all staring YOU!You can read these adventures in any order you decide!From sci-fi and fantasy to mystery and fairytale, this family-friendly series is fun for readers of all ages!Whenever you crave adventure, open a book and Explore-A-Quest!Explore-A-Quest Titles:Channel UOnce HumanMissing Money of AlteviaPeacemaker: The Absorbing RockAriona: The Bounty HunterHunk and the Hydra

    Seemingly cast in an eternal twilight, the estate proves to be full of mysteries: their niece’s inexplicable illness, housemaids who never stay longer than a season and a thriving bat colony. As Rosie and Margaret unravel the web of lies surrounding Helen’s death, the sisters become entangled in life at Blueford Manor. So much so, that Rosie decides to stay—forever. Unsettled by Rosie’s decision, Margaret suspects Helen’s widower, the formidable Captain Ford, of influencing her sister. But Margaret’s quest for answers is thwarted when Rosie suddenly disappears within the walls of Blueford Manor. As Margaret sets out to unlock the truth, she makes another startling discovery. Adept with a needle and thread, Margaret possesses a dark and unnatural power of her own. Now, Margaret must solve her sister’s disappearance and the unanswered questions of Helen’s death before Rosie, too, is counted among the dead.

    However, the night this story began would forever change the fate of 13-year-old James Hope, a studious young lad. During a firework-studded London night, James meets an audacious adventurer named Peter, sparking a friendship that leads both boys down a path of excitement and uncertainty, through the darkest of shadows and into the light of the second star to the right: Neverland.This is the account of the twists and turns that shaped the fate of their distinguished futures—one into the beloved character who never grew up, and the other into one of the most feared and infamous pirates who ever sailed the Seven Seas; a boy, who unlike Peter, was forced to grow up. Together, James and Peter take us to a land devoid of time, brimming with mystery and treacherous perils, a land where memory fades like footprints on sand, and where monstrous ticking crocodiles lurk in the shadows. It all began on that single night of fireworks in London. The night when Peter and James discovered fairies. The night when they both learned how to fly.**BONUS: "F*KTORY" exclusive first look:ONE PILL MAKES YOU LARGER...Meet “E”. She’s fourteen. Lives in NYC. Says f*ck a lot. She sells drugs.Dive into the frenzied mayhem that is her life. Her struggle to escape her abusive father ("Good Ol’ Frank, the fat tub of lard") while trying to keep her toddler brother out of harm’s way. In a world brimming with barbiturates and opiates, E seeks an exit. But when she gets her hands on a mysterious new drug—a drug that gives you unimaginable powers; a high with telekinetic abilities—players much larger than her usual small-time dealers break into the picture. As events escalate and spiral out of her control, E will find herself repeatedly pushed to the edge, cornered, and held at gunpoint, forcing her to do the two things she does best: adapt and survive.