In her debut collection of short fiction, Due takes us to Gracetown, a small Florida town that has both literal and figurative ghost; into future scenarios that seem all too real; and provides empathetic portraits of those whose lives are touched by Otherness. Featuring an award-winning novella and fifteen stories—one of which has never been published before—Ghost Summer: Stories is sure to both haunt and delight.With an Introduction by Nalo Hopkinson and an Afterword by Steven Barnes.

    Wild, but curiously childlike; wise and yet playful; existing outside the confines of conventional morality, and yet bringing hope and clarity to everyone whose lives they touch.” —Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat, from her introduction to this book. Charles de Lint’s readers have been asking him to put together story collections featuring their favourite Newford characters. The crow girls are among his best-loved characters, so de Lint obliged by gathering their stories all under one roof, so to speak. Some other members of the Newford repertory company show up here, but at the forefront of each story are these two little wild girls with their big personalities. This book features an introduction by Joanne Harris and an afterword by the de Lint. Cover art by Tara Larsen Chang (www.taralarsenchang.com). These stories have all been published before. “Crow Girls” is also available in The Very Best of Charles de Lint and in Moonlight and Vines; “Twa Corbies” in Moonlight and Vines; “The Buffalo Man” in Tapping the Dream Tree; and “A Crow Girls’ Christmas” in Muse and Reverie. “Make a Joyful Noise,” published in a limited edition by Subterranean Press, has not appeared in any of his previous collections. "Nobody does urban fantasy better than Charles de Lint. He has a gift for creating engaging, fully realized characters, totally believable dialogue, and a feeling that magic is just around the corner … He can make you believe 'as many as six impossible things before breakfast.' " —Amazon.com Editorial Review "De Lint's elegant prose and effective storytelling continue to transform the mundane into the magical at every turn. Highly recommended." —Library Journal, Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. "In many hands, the urban fantasy plot involving strange beings just around the corner fails dismally. It does not in the hands of the reliable, the inimitable de Lint … —Booklist " de Lint…clearly has no equal as an urban fantasist and very few equals among fantasists as a folklorist." —Booklist Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better. — Alice Hoffman Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best. — Holly Black Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it’s just damned fine writing. —Quill & Quire

    Ray’s short stories often explore the macabre and the supernatural, and are marked by the sharp characterization and trademark wit that distinguish his films. This collection brings together Ray’s best short stories—including such timeless gems as ‘Khagam’, ‘Indigo’, ‘Fritz’, ‘Bhuto’, ‘The Pterodactyl’s Egg’, ‘Big Bill’, ‘Patol Babu, Film Star’ and ‘The Hungry Septopus’—which readers of all ages will enjoy. A collection of forty-nine short stories

    Whether flying a cat to Abu Dhabi, dealing with a nervous bassoonist, hunting for a cleverly-hidden lemon or attempting to celebrate Christmas in seven minutes, no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, MJN Air's formidable boss, has employed two of the very cheapest pilots money can buy: Captain Martin Crieff, who's always wanted to fly and won't let a little thing like lack of ability stop him, and First Officer Douglas Richardson, smooth-voiced old sky-god and eternal schemer. Passenger service is provided by the relentlessly cheery Arthur.Written by John Finnemore, Cabin Pressure stars Stephanie Cole as Carolyn, Benedict Cumberbatch as Martin, Roger Allam as Douglas, and John Finnemore as Arthur.

    Here are exiles, emigrants, and wanderers uprooting their families from the Philippines to begin new lives in the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere—and, sometimes, turning back again. A pharmacist living in New York smuggles drugs to his ailing father in Manila, only to discover alarming truths about his family and his past. In Bahrain, a Filipina teacher drawn to a special pupil finds, to her surprise, that she is questioning her own marriage. A college student leans on her brother, a laborer in Saudi Arabia, to support her writing ambitions, without realizing that his is the life truly made for fiction. And in the title story, a journalist and a nurse face an unspeakable trauma amidst the political turmoil of the Philippines in the 1970s and ’80s.In the Country speaks to the heart of everyone who has ever searched for a place to call home. From teachers to housemaids, from mothers to sons, Alvar’s powerful debut collection explores the universal experiences of loss, displacement, and the longing to connect across borders both real and imagined. Deeply compassionate and richly felt, In the Country marks the emergence of a formidable new writer.

    It establishes Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar as one of our most important contemporary writers.

    In Fortune Smiles - his first book since Orphan Master - he continues to give voice to characters rarely heard from, while offering something we all seek from fiction: a new way of looking at our world.In six masterly stories, Johnson delves deep into love and loss, natural disasters, the influence of technology, and how the political shapes the personal. "George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine" follows a former warden of a Stasi prison in East Germany who vehemently denies his past, even as pieces of it are delivered in packages to his door. "Nirvana," which won the prestigious Sunday Times short story prize, portrays a programmer whose wife has a rare disease finding solace in a digital simulacrum of the president of the United States. In "Hurricanes Anonymous" - first included in the Best American Short Stories anthology - a young man searches for the mother of his son in a Louisiana devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And in the unforgettable title story, Johnson returns to his signature subject, North Korea, depicting two defectors from Pyongyang who are trying to adapt to their new lives in Seoul, while one cannot forget the woman he left behind. Unnerving, riveting, and written with a timeless quality, these stories confirm Johnson as one of America's greatest writers and an indispensable guide to our new century.

    His humor and short fiction appear in various publications throughout the Southeast.

    For the centennial celebration of this beloved annual series, master of the form Lorrie Moore selects forty stories from the more than two thousand that were published in previous editions. Series editor Heidi Pitlor recounts behind-the-scenes anecdotes and examines, decade by decade, the trends captured over a hundred years. Together, the stories and commentary offer an extraordinary guided tour through a century of literature with what Moore calls “all its wildnesses of character and voice.” These forty stories represent their eras but also stand the test of time. Here is Ernest Hemingway’s first published story and a classic by William Faulkner, who admitted in his biographical note that he began to write “as an aid to love-making.” Nancy Hale’s story describes far-reaching echoes of the Holocaust; Tillie Olsen’s story expresses the desperation of a single mother; James Baldwin depicts the bonds of brotherhood and music. Here is Raymond Carver’s “minimalism,” a term he disliked, and Grace Paley’s “secular Yiddishkeit.” Here are the varied styles of Donald Barthelme, Charles Baxter, and Jamaica Kincaid. From Junot Díaz to Mary Gaitskill, from ZZ Packer to Sherman Alexie, these writers and stories explore the different things it means to be American.

    Folk play. That is the way it has been in this country as long as Sam can remember. He is happy, and he understands that this is the way it should be. People are bigger than folk. They are stronger. They do not need food or water. They do not need the warmth of a fire. All they need is a job to do and a blacksmith to fix them when they break. The people work so the folk can drink their moonshine, fish a little, throw a horseshoe. But when Sam starts to wonder about why the world is this way, his life will never be the same.   Along with the other stories in this collection, “I Am Crying All Inside” is a compact marvel: a picture of an impossible reality that is not so different from our own.   Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

    This boxed set includes five works. The title story, INDIA GRAY, is a poignant adventure set on the 1945 battlefront iof Assam, India and features Kamala and Simon, much-loved characters from the 2013 historical saga, THE SLEEPING DICTIONARY. Next in line is THE OXFORD INCIDENT, a mystery introducing Perveen Mistry, a young law student from Bombay who is tasked with finding a disappeared Indian servant at Oxford University in 1918. A novella set in 1920s Bengal, THE AYAH'S TALE, features Menakshi, a teenaged ayah working for an elite British family, who wonders if she will ever have a chance to live for herself. ALIPORE CLUB RULES, a short story set in early 1950s Calcutta, features Kabita Lewes, an Anglo-Indian teenager who struggles with her parents' intense relationship and her own anxieties. The collection rounds out with a thriller story, BITTER TEA. In the remote Northwest Frontier area of Pakistan, a peaceful Muslim village has been overtaken by foreign undamentalists. As women lose their rights to go to school or walk outside their homes, three teenage girls conspire to change the situation. This book realistically reflects the "gray" situations that in which cross-cultural characters find themselves, habitant a world irrevocably altered by almost 400 years of colonialism.

    Two of them, Porter and Macos have been available on Amazon as stand-alone stories in the past, but readers complained that they were too short to justify Amazon’s minimum $0.99 price. Thus, I removed Porter and Macos from Amazon, extensively rewrote them and then compiled them with some new short stories in order to provide a better value. If you already purchased and read Porter and Macos when they were available as stand-alone stories you may be disappointed, but they only make up 34% of the total and the price for all six stories is still just $0.99. The book consists of six stories (65K words – same length as the novel “Quicker”). 1. Sander (Novelette - 8K words) – a story about growing up in the asteroid belt and encountering a man who‘s a complex mixture of good and evil 2. Exceltor (Novella - 19K words) – a story considering how warfare might work in a future where wormholes allow sudden bridging of large distances in space 3. Macos (Short Story - 8K words) – a coming of age story wherein a young man finds his father is a completely different man than he had always imagined 4. Porter (Novelette - 14K words) – a young girl can open small portals from one location to another with her mind but—to her father’s great disappointment—she just wants to play guitar 5. Billy Benoit (Novelette - 12K words) – a man who thinks it would be awesome to go back in time, finds out it isn’t as cool as he’d hoped – not at all… 6. Guitar Girl (Short Story - 4K words) – a cover band at a beach bar invites a pretty girl with a guitar to play a set with them – having no idea who she really is…

     CSI Eddie Collins embarks on another ordinary day. But the people he meets in a lift prove that you should never make assumptions, never let preconceptions sway your judgement. And never let down your guard.

    After releasing a critically acclaimed graphic novel we're thrilled to share more of The Storyteller's magic. In the spirit of Henson's inventive imagination, this hardcover collects four stories of witches and witchcraft from all over the world. Each story is told by a different writer and artist, exploring classic witch stories and fairy tales through an incredible blend of art styles and storytelling techniques, and taking full advantage of the visual medium. Collects the watercolor story of "The Magic Swan Goose and the Lord of the Forest" from S.M. Vidaurri (Iron: Or, the War After), Spera artist Kyla Vanderklugt's haunting tale of the snow witch, Matthew Dow Smith's tale of a man shipwrecked on an island of witches, and the unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives, adapted by Jeff Stokely (Six-Gun Gorilla). Features an all-new cover illustration by Sonny Liew (The Shadow Hero) and the never-before-seen, unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives.

    Moore, Gwen uses her wedding photography business to keep her life simple and focus on something other than her own broken heart. When Jack, a guy too handsome for his own good, helps her clean up after a photoshoot, then asks her out, she doesn’t know if she can handle dating again. But Jack’s charm wins her over, and she agrees to meet him for dinner. The more she gets to know Jack, the more she likes him, but everything about him seems too good to be true. GONE FISHING, a charming novella by Kaylee Baldwin, follows Claire as she tries to convince her dad to leave his start-up company as a boat guide and come back home to Colorado. He’s the only one who can defend Claire against her domineering mother. But when she arrives at the San Diego harbor, she’s met with more than one surprise. First, that her dad is truly living his dream and has never been happier, and second, she’s unexpectedly attracted to his business partner, Miguel.In THE PIER CHANGES EVERYTHING, an enchanting novella by Annette Lyon, Alexandria has one last task to perform for her late husband, who died much too young: scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. She goes to the Santa Monica Pier to do just that, but her plans get sidetracked after meeting Michael and feeling an immediate connection to him. They grab lunch, and the more time they spend together, the more they discover that they have in common—including past romantic hardships. As the day wears on, Alexandria begins learn that her heart just might be able to find love again.In Jennifer Moore’s captivating novella A HERO’S SONG, AnneMarie’s career as a romance novelist is skyrocketing and her agent books her on a late night talk show. The host gets her to admit that she was in love once, with a guitar player. Moments after her segment, Lance Holden appears on the same stage, to perform his newest song. Is it a terrible coincidence? AnneMarie hasn’t seen Lance ever since he broke her heart ten years ago, and she has refused to think about him again. Their lives are worlds apart, but as Lance tries to reconcile with AnneMarie, she finds herself taking a second chance. In STAY WITH ME, an endearing novella by Shannon Guymon, Jolie moves to L.A. to take on a nanny position for the summer, since apparently having a degree in art doesn’t translate to getting a job as a graphic designer. When Fitz, the family’s chauffeur, picks her up at the airport, she wonders if every man in LA is model-gorgeous. When Jolie meets her two charges, she finds them adorable and needy. But it’s harder to hold onto her job than she thought with a hostile Mrs. James and her spoiled brother. Fitz becomes both the silver lining of her job and the man who just might convince her to stay in L.A.In the delightful novella, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, by Sarah M. Eden, Ada is the best realtor around. The best. She prides herself in matching each client with the house that will fit all of their needs. She hasn’t failed yet. So when Craig hires her to find him the perfect condo for him and his son, Ada is up for the challenge. What she may not be prepared for is her unforeseen attraction to Craig, her immediate attachment to his nine-year-old son, and her heart telling her that it’s okay to take another chance.

    Heinlein has been hailed as one of the most forward-thinking science fiction writers of all time, and Expanded Universe (presented in two volumes) offers the perfect collection of his works to provide readers with true insights into his uniquely creative mind. Heinlein personally selected each story or essay for inclusion in this collection, which is ordered chronologically, starting with his first sale in 1939 of “Life-Line” to Astounding (for seventy dollars).This remarkable collection highlights the development of Heinlein’s writing style and his philosophy on life throughout his career. More importantly, this collection is as close to an autobiography as anything Heinlein wrote during his life. Heinlein was an extremely private person who never wrote much about himself. In this exclusive collection, he offers forewords to most of his stories and essays (and an occasional afterword), giving readers a rare glimpse into the inner mind of the master. Expanded Universe is a must-have for any Heinlein enthusiast and any fan of science fiction. *** “From “Life-Line” (1939), one of his earliest works, to a tale of adventure on the moon (“Nothing Ever Happens On the Moon”), this collection demonstrates the formidable talent and irascible perceptions of one of the genre’s most outspoken writers.”—Library Journal “This is the book I’ve always wanted from Heinlein.” —John Bruni, GoodReads

    Within these pages, you’ll find whispers of the familiar ghosts of the classic pulps - Lovecraft, Bradbury, Smith - blended with Grau’s uniquely macabre, witty storytelling, securing his place at the table amid this current Renaissance of literary horror.

    A Hollywood fixer finds love over the corpse of a dead celebrity. A morbidly obese woman imagines a new life with the jewel thief who is scheming to rob the store where she works. A man earns the name “Mad Dog” and lives to regret it. Denizens of the shadows who live outside the law—from the desolate meth labs of the Ozark Mountains to the dog-fighting rings of Detroit to the lavish Los Angeles mansions of the rich and famous—the characters in Love and Other Wounds all thirst for something seemingly just beyond their reach. Some are on the run, pursued by the law or propelled relentlessly forward by a dangerous past that is disturbingly close. Others are searching for a semblance of peace and stability, and even love, in a fractured world defined by seething violence and ruthless desperation. All are bruised, pushed to their breaking point and beyond, driven to extremes they never imagined. Crackling with cinematic energy, raw and disquieting yet filled with pathos and a darkly vital humor, Love and Other Wounds is an unforgettable debut from an electrifying new voice.

    Told through the eyes of a young man who yearns to find excitement, truth, and a deeper family bond in his life, Weaver's approachable and revealing stories, lists, fragments, and memories delve into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling world of a midwest kid finding his own path."Thank god you can come across a writer like Troy James Weaver. In the future people will just say these stories are like Troy James Weaver stories and you'll know exactly what they mean." --Scott McClanahan "There are moments, reading Witchita Stories, where everything dropped away, and I was speechless, or at least whatever the equivalent of speechless is when you're not talking in the first place. There is a deep sadness to these stories, and humor, but most importantly, honesty. This feels real and heavy and it's just about the best thing I've read in a long time." --J. David Osborne

    Tony’s exactly what she’s always dreamed of… or at least he would be if he ever took her out instead of just taking her to bed. And work would be perfect, too, if she wasn’t constantly in trouble with her boss. When the new gardener, Mikey, discovers her in a rather compromising position at work, Callie knows that her days at Bay View Care Home could be numbered. And if she leaves, who’ll look out for her favourite client, Ruby, whose grandson, Rhys, seems to constantly let her down?And can anyone in Callie’s life be trusted?

    Join Sarah, Lucy, and Zona, three compassionate members of the brigade, as they care for wounded heroes—and find love along the way.

    The fast-footed. The broken. The overgrown. The fox-eyed. The children of the forest. The suicidal magicians. The sage smoke lovers. Someone like me. Someone like you. Something Like The Desert is a collection of coming-of-age stories that have been growing like vines in my ribs and have finally, surely, swiftly, made their way to the tip of my pen. Here, inside, I’ll invite you to sit down at my table. I’ll pour you something warm to drink. And maybe, hopefully, you’ll find a bit of familiarity between the inky lines. “Something Like The Desert makes the tangible and relatable seem ethereal and magical.”- Annabelle Praznik

    We are not who we think we are, nor how others see us. Long before death, we die a thousand times at the hands of a definition.” A master storyteller’s vision reawakens us to the human experience in this diverse, haunting, and unexpectedly humorous new collection of short fiction from Simon Van Booy—his first since Love Begins in Winter, winner of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award.In his first book of short stories since Love Begins in Winter, for which he won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award), bestselling author Simon Van Booy offers a collection of stories highlighting how human genius can emerge through acts of compassion. Through characters including an eccentric film director, an aging Cockney bodyguard, the teenage child of Nigerian immigrants, a divorced amateur magician from New Jersey, and a Beijing street vendor who becomes an overnight billionaire, Tales of Accidental Genius contemplates individuals from different cultures, races—rich and poor, young and old—and reveals how faith and yearning for connection helps us all transcend darkness of fear and misfortune.

    Diane, meanwhile, pays a visit to Highcombe House, the Tremontaine country estate. And at long last, Kaab and Diane face off in a drawing room duel where the weapon of choice is words.Welcome to Tremontaine, the prequel to Ellen Kushner’s beloved Riverside series that began with Swordspoint! A Duchess whose beauty is matched only by her cunning; her husband’s dangerous affair with a handsome scholar; a foreigner in a playground of swordplay and secrets; and a mathematical genius whose discoveries herald revolution—when long-buried truths threaten long-held deceptions, betrayal and treachery know no bounds. Mind your manners and enjoy the chocolate in a dance of sparkling wit and political intrigue.Written by: Ellen Kushner, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Malinda Lo, Joel Derfner, Racheline Maltese, Patty Bryant, Paul Witcover (guest author)Cover art by: Kathleen JenningsThis episode continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine, presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on SerialBox.com And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series “Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild “More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ” – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!” – Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    Diane ascendant. And Rafe gets a consolation prize.Kaab and Diane, enemies bound by common interests, forge a new understanding. Micah and Rafe receive unexpected offers of employment. And Will, now the Duke Tremontaine in name only, languishes at Highcombe House, where it is hoped—by some—that he may yet recover. This episode is brought to you by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, who can't wait to share what they've got up their sleeves for Season 2 of Tremontaine!“Departures” completes Season One of the serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    But what do those elf stories really tell us about the Iceland of old and the people who lived there? In this book, author Alda Sigmundsdóttir presents twenty translated elf stories from Icelandic folklore, along with fascinating notes on the context from which they sprung. The international media has had a particular infatuation with the Icelanders’ elf belief, generally using it to propagate some kind of “kooky Icelanders” myth. Yet Iceland’s elf folklore, at its core, reflects the plight of a nation living in abject poverty on the edge of the inhabitable world, and its people’s heroic efforts to survive, physically, emotionally and spiritually. That is what the stories of the elves, or hidden people, are really about. In a country that was, at times, virtually uninhabitable, where poverty was endemic and death and grief a part of daily life, the Icelanders nurtured a belief in a world that existed parallel to their own. This was the world of the hidden people, which more often than not was a projection of the most fervent dreams and desires of the human population. The hidden people lived inside hillocks, cliffs or boulders, very close to the abodes of the humans. Their homes were furnished with fine, sumptuous objects. Their clothes were luxurious, their adornments beautiful. Their livestock was better and fatter, their sheep yielded more wool than regular sheep, their crops were more bounteous. They even had supernatural powers: they could make themselves visible or invisible at will, and they could see the future. To the Icelanders, stories of elves and hidden people are an integral part of the cultural and psychological fabric of their nation. They are a part of their identity, a reflection of the struggles, hopes, resilience and endurance of their people. All this and more is the subject of this book.

    Kaab unlocks a deadly secret.Afraid that he is losing his mind, Will looks for comfort in Rafe's arms. Rafe, meanwhile, blames himself for his lover's condition. And when Kaab hears of Diane's childhood and her long-ago encounter with Rupert Hawke, new questions arise that can only be answered within the walls of Tremontaine House itself. This episode is brought to you by Alaya Dawn Johnson, who is on a first-name basis with the Morning Star.Cover art by: Kathleen JenningsThis episode continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    The lone survivor of a hellish Interstate pile-up follows an otherworldly sound to its source. A father desperate to cure his daughter’s condition uncovers a multinational corporation’s unspeakable plan for solving world hunger. In these eleven stories, Cody Goodfellow explores the bizarre and the deeply human, using the kaleidoscopic language only he is capable of.

    Stories in the collection have been previously published by Hunger Mountain, Iron Horse Literary Review, Hawaii Review, Los Angeles Review, and others.

    A father and son set out to rescue a young couple trapped during a wildfire. An ex-con trying to make good as a security guard stumbles onto a burglary plot. A young father must submit to blackmail to protect the fragile life he's built.

    Step right up to the modern freakshow. We have mermaids, monsters, and more. You won't be disappointed, but you may not get out alive. UnCommon Bodies presents a collection of 20 beautifully irreverent stories which blend the surreal and the mundane. Together, the authors explore the lives of the odd, the unbelievable, and the impossible. Imagine a world where magic exists, where the physical form has the power to heal or repulse, where a deal with the devil means losing so much more than your soul.The authors: Christopher Godsoe, Philip Harris, Sessha Batto, Rebecca Poole, Brent Meske, Robb Grindstaff, Sally Basmajian, Michael Harris Cohen, Robert Pope, Jordanne Fuller, Deanne Charlton, Bey Deckard, Vasil Tuchkov, SM Johnson, PK Tyler, Laxmi Hariharan, Daniel Smith, Samantha Warren, Bob Williams, Kim Wells, Keira Michelle TelfordContents: * Saltwater Assassin (2015) / short story by Samantha Warren * We Is We / short story by Michael Harris Cohen * Don't Touch Me / short fiction by Bey Deckard * Undead Cyborg Girl / short fiction by Kim Wells * Skin / short fiction by Brent Meske * Scars: First Session / short fiction by Jordanne Fuller * Mermaids / short fiction by Robert Pope * In Her Image / short fiction by Vasil Tuchkov * It Runs in the Family / poem by Deanne Charlton * Brenga's Body / poem by Deanne Charlton * Eternity in a One-Night Stand / poem by Deanne Charlton * Reserved / short fiction by SM Johnson * UnTamed / short fiction by Laxmi Hariharan * Ruby and Deidre / short fiction by Robb Grindstaff * All the Devils / short fiction by Keira Michelle Telford * Ruby / short fiction by Bob Williams * Phantom Pain / short fiction by Philip Harris * Daedalus' Daughter / short fiction by P. K. Tyler * The Zealot [d.o.mai.n] / novelette by Christopher Godsoe * Made for This / short fiction by Sessha Batto * Unbreakable Heart / short fiction by Rebecca Poole * The Well-Rounded Head / short fiction by Sally Basmajian * From the Inside / short story by Daniel Arthur Smith .

    Diane makes a fateful choice.When Tess finds herself plagued by nightmares of the murdered Ben, Kaab vows to solve the case. But she may never get the chance, for Reynald is on her trail, with more murder on his mind. Meanwhile, Will tells Diane of Micah's discovery, but her response is not what he had hoped for. And Micah gets an unexpected job offer. This episode is brought to you by Joel Derfner, who always adds a dash of the unexpected to his prose."Shadowroot" continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    As we rush headlong toward a "Choose Your Own Apocalypse" future, Bailey hangs back, refusing to let go of the indelible ferocity of the human heart. His stories are filled with the vibrant sound of those hearts, always beating. There is the Creature from the Black Lagoon, who is more human than any of those he meets in Hollywood; Eleanor, who works at the End-of-the-World Café, and who sees the depravity and despair of the Pit every day, yet never gives up hope for her ailing child; and young Tom, lost in a world scorched by the sun, who follows the rumor of angels still hanging on the wind.Reminiscent of Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson, Dale Bailey mixes the macabre in with his melancholy, crafting stories that linger long after their reading. He sees a dark world that is growing darker, but he carries with him a light that refuses to go out.

    The book's lineup of writers reads like a who's who of classic horror authors from America, Great Britain, and the European continent: Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, Guy de Maupassant, William Hope Hodgson, Ambrose Bierce, Edith Wharton, and more. Its selections include some of the finest weird tales ever published, among them Lovecraft's "The Colour out of Space," Blackwood's "The Willows," Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Body-Snatcher," William Fryer Harvey's "August Heat," and W. W. Jacobs's "The Monkey's Paw." Classic Horror Stories is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an exquisitely designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging and a ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensable cornerstone for every home library.

    But Kaab has her own private stash, for which she has a special use in mind, involving a certain pretty forger. Meanwhile, Rafe sits for his exams, with his dreams of starting his own school hanging in the balance. Diane ploys all her wit and wiles upon the Dragon Chancellor.  This episode is brought to you by Alaya Dawn Johnson, who takes her chocolate with a dusting of chili powder and not so much as a smidgen of cream.“A City Without Chocolate” continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    In The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales, New York Times bestselling author Yoon Ha Lee crafts together short and moving stories of love, adventure, magic, and nature. With poetic language and intricate world building, readers will be whisked away to a different adventure with every new story. Full of fascinating creatures and LGBT+ romances, this flash fiction collection combines the classic with the contemporary in Yoon’s captivating style.

    She has been dubbed “one of our most important writers,” (Junot Diaz), with “an imagination that most of us would kill for” (Los Angeles Times), and her work has been called “stunning,” (New York Times) “rich in voice, humor, and dazzling imagery” (Kirkus), and “simply triumphant” (Dorothy Allison).Falling in Love with Hominids presents over a dozen years of Hopkinson’s new, uncollected fiction, much of which has been unavailable in print. Her singular, vivid tales, which mix the modern with Afro-Caribbean folklore, are occupied by creatures unpredictable and strange: chickens that breathe fire, adults who eat children, and spirits that haunt shopping malls.

    Two young men compare and challenge their physical limitations in the months following respective heart transplants. A woman returns to Iowa from New York and binges on the food and relationships she thought she’d left behind. A gigolo discovers he can no longer have traditional sex, a survivor of the zombie apocalypse gives up food, and a test prep tutor is forced to admit the life of the mind can’t compete with the mysteries between two bodies. In language both captivating and honest, McCarty reveals the ways we use our bodies to confront our hidden selves. Draw from her well of good-intentioned limbs and charming collapses, and you’ll surface in territory clear and familiar as a mirror.

    . . and Kaab, deeply infatuated, is determined to screen all applicants at swordpoint. Micah struggles to make her numbers come out right. And on the Hill, Diane gives Will his marching orders for the next Council meeting, on which the fate of the Tremontaine fortune hinges – and dispatches a dangerous servant to Riverside.   This episode is brought to you by Alaya Dawn Johnson, whose numbers always come out right.“The Dagger and the Sword” continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    Both bleak and joyously optimistic, All The Places We Lived is a collection of disparate, yet inextricably connected stories that are bound by the common threads that exist amongst young people in and out of love with each other and life in the twenty-first century.Whether keenly awaiting an imagined terror attack in a twenty-third floor glass box hotel, wandering Catalonian art galleries, or two AM jogging on pitch-black A-roads, solitude is never a truly concrete experience. There is always someone else: someone to buy a dilapidated rural house with, someone to laugh with, someone to get fired with, someone to fight with, someone to ride bikes with.Richard Owain Roberts has assembled a debut collection of contemporary fiction that is minimalist, confrontational, delicate, and, relentlessly, the absolute unfiltered truth. All The Places We Lived was translated and published in Serbian by Partizanska Knija in 2018.

    However, bunkers can also become real homes, a small Japanese girl and an American POW briefly understand each other and a miraculous tree feeds starving children...This is war, no doubt, but told by someone who understands how children truly experience war and its aftermath - the bombings and parents' deaths, the life of orphans who roam the streets, the starvation and blind violence in a society beyond destruction.Akiyuki Nosaka remembers what it was like to be a child caught in war-torn Japan in 1945, and he retells his experiences in this collection of powerful and beautifully expressive stories for children.

    This book contains four heartwarming Christmas stories about our feline friends and the humans who love them. Slipper's Last Breath For most people Christmas is a time reflection, a time to share and celebrate with family and friends, but for some it is a time of sadness and quiet desperation. What if your soul mate, best friend and lover is no longer around to share in the season of joy and you are about to lose the last remaining link to a life you once knew and loved. Would you find the strength to survive? Slipper's Last Breath is a story about love, companionship and triumph over tragedy. Some might call it a Christmas miracle, but I call it the power of unconditional love. The Unwrapped Gift Sometimes the best gifts are the unexpected ones. After enduring the heartbreak of a bad marriage, Beth is in no mood to celebrate the Christmas season. It's sad enough spending the holidays alone, but watching Spice, her five-year-old Labrador retriever, mope around the house was more than she could bear. A visit to Miller's tree farm to cheer up her canine companion leads to an unexpected find and the possibility of a new found relationship. When she least expects it, Beth rediscovers love and the magic of Christmas. A Charcoal Christmas She was born under the loading dock behind Johnson's Market and lost her mother when she was only five weeks old. One of a litter of six, she and her siblings had to learn to fend for themselves at a young age. The life expectancy of a feral cat is short, but thanks to the generosity of a compassionate store owner, the kittens were well fed and enjoying their lives. Then one day a stranger appears and takes her away from the safety of her kin. Confused and frightened, she is forced to endure an uncaring human and ultimately the forces of nature, in hopes of returning to the ones she loves. A Charcoal Christmas is a bittersweet tale of survival, hope and loving companionship. Christmas Mourning A troubled priest struggling with doubts about his faith and vocation has an unexpected encounter with a stray, weather-beaten black cat. When Father Pedro decides to provide warmth and shelter for the lost creature, he has no idea how this simple act of kindness will impact his life forever.

    A deaf Native American girl wanders off into the desert and is found untouched in a den of rattlesnakes. A young boy copes with the death of his sister by angling for an unnaturally large trout in the creek where she drowned. An old woman rides her horse into a mountain snowstorm and sees a long-dead beloved dog. For the plainspoken men and women of these stories--fathers and daughters, sheriffs and veterinarians--small events trigger sudden shifts in which the ordinary becomes unfamiliar. A harmless comment about how to ride a horse changes the course of a relationship, a snakebite gives rise to hallucinations, and the hunt for a missing man reveals his uncanny resemblance to an actor. Half an Inch of Water tears through the fabric of the everyday to examine what lies beneath the surface of these lives. In the hands of master storyteller Everett, the act of questioning leads to vistas more strange and unsettling than could ever have been expected.

     Joe DeRouen’s Good Fortune teaches us a valuable lesson about why you should be very careful when you hold someone’s fate in your hands. It may come back to haunt you, just as it does for Grimsley Harkness, who dares to wish for more than he deserves. Celia Kennedy’s Nothing Scares Me takes readers on a test of endurance. Lost in the Florida Everglades, Ardith Deblois, wife, mother and intrepid adventurer, fights for her life. Enveloped within the humid swamplands is a perilous maze full of obstacles and adversaries. Which is the greater impediment, the humans that hunt her or the deadly animals and poisonous plants she hides amongst? Can she fight through fatigue and dehydration to save herself? Nothing Scares Me. True or not? Zeece Lugo’s Five Stories Up finds us on October 31st, 1966, and night is falling over the city. Below, the groups of little ghosts and goblins stream in and out of the front stoops and basement bodegas, running, laughing, white blankets flapping in the wind, their candy treasures tightly held in hand. But above, in the dark rooftop of Sonia's building, something pale and evil watches her, and beckons... Angie Martin's "Sold" follows a paranormal team as they investigate the home of a serial killer for their live Halloween night televised show. In Heather Osborne's Will You Remember Me? past and present collide when ghosts from witch trials of long ago come to life. It's up to Sierra to lay things to rest. In Leonie Rogers' Roast Pumpkin, Anna discovers that going trick-or-treating in her new home town is more of an out-of-this-world experience than she'd ever imagined. CJ Rutherford's 'Treaters' tells the story of Jaz. Who would believe the world would end on Halloween night? Can Jaz, a retired U.S. Marine, battle loss, grief, demons, and loneliness, to survive the end of the world? In Jada Ryker’s Dead Eye, Alex takes Marisa to an unusual Halloween party in an isolated Kentucky community… with a murderer ready with deadly tricks, rather than treats. In Jalpa Williby’s Beauty and the Beast, Kelsey’s entire family perishes in a fire on a dreadful Halloween night. Overcome by grief and guilt, she decides to end her pain once and for all. Will the mysterious stranger be her savior, or will he ultimately cause her tragic demise?

    Within these pages are tales of identities lost and found...relationships lost and found...sanity lost and found."Nicole Cushing's stories grab you by the throat—and don't let go until they have slapped you around a bit. I know of few writers of contemporary weird fiction whose stories pack the raw emotional power that hers do..." -- S.T. Joshi (from his foreword)"Nicole Cushing comes in smart and hard, skilled and strange times three. Many aspire. But you can't fake this kind of weird."-- New York Times Bestselling Author John Skipp

    "The collection is strange, wonderful, eye opening and amazing. It is a book of revelations and spiritual gifts from an immensely talented author to his religious community, which has long needed somebody to show us how strange and wonderful (and strange) we can actually be." "Wandering Realities is perfectly satisfying, a treat from beginning to end," says Steven Evans. "It is alternatively touching and funny and poignant, with horrors and wonders. Steven Peck is a gift to Mormon literature, and any opportunity to read his stories is not to be missed." "This collection is one of the freshest, most engaging, and most entertaining contributions to Mormon literature that I've seen in a long while," says Jonathan Langford. "Steve Peck is an alien. . . . That's the only explanation I can come up with for how, in this set of 16 stories, he so consistently manages to provide such startlingly different, yet at the same time deeply insightful, perspectives on the culture and religion he has adopted for his own." Peck's highly imaginative stories run the gamut from Mormons reverting to a medieval society on Mars to a bishop who is killing the neighborhood dogs. These stories not only entertain and delight, but they challenge and provoke as well. This collection includes several award-winning stories, including: "Two-Dog Dose"—best short story of 2014, Association for Mormon Letters "A Strange Report from the Church Archives"—second place, Irreantum fiction contest "Avek, Who Is Distributed"—first place, Four Centuries of Mormon Fiction Contest 2012 "When the Bishop Started Killing Dogs"—second place, Four Centuries of Mormon Fiction Contest 2012 "Every story Steven L. Peck writes seems to lead Mormon fiction in exciting and innovative new directions," says Scott Hales. "I hate hyperbole, but Peck might be the Moses of Mormon letters in the twenty-first century." Wandering Realities "may be the book of the year," says Andrew Hall. Peck is "perhaps the most interesting contemporary author of Mormon fiction." "Peck is the best LDS science fiction writer currently out there," says Steven Evans. "Wandering Realities is an immensely enjoyable and powerful collection of short fiction, one that highlights both the possibilities and inevitabilities of Mormonism."

    A young Shane Hinton catalogs his dead pets. A father-to-be Shane Hinton combats roving pythons in the suburbs. Yet another Shane Hinton throws a barbecue for all the Shane Hintons he's met on the Internet and fears his wife might leave him for one.Hinton, a father of three, inserts himself into these fictions as a way of confronting personal anxieties. ''It's cliché to say that one thinks of writing as therapy,'' he says, ''but I think these stories represent an exorcism of intrusive thoughts.''In ''Intersection,'' a father struggles to protect his frightened family from cars that keep crashing into their home, while in ''Driving School'' he's imagined as a vehicular menace. ''Fumes'' portrays a father crippled by a rabid dog, bedridden and unable to play catch with his son or help his wife pay the ever-growing medical bills.A sharp commentary on the mundanity and absurdity of modern life, Hinton's stories explore the horrors of death, abandonment and insurance agents with spare prose and deadpan humor. The world of Pinkies is a terrifying and hilarious introduction to an unflinching new voice.

    But now, with the family fortune at stake, Diane assembles her guest list with all the cunning of a general preparing a battle plan. As the chocolate merchants of the City, led by the Balam family, debate how to respond to the Duchess's unprecedented invitation, Micah, eager to help her family, makes plans to crash the party. And Kaab finds that learning from Vincent Applethorpe is a painful experience. This episode is brought to you by Racheline Maltese and Patty Bryant, who cordially extend you an invitation to the Ball.“A Fair Hand” continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    And Kaab faces the music.A moment of staggering inspiration and insight sets events in motion that have the potential to fracture friendships, shatter alliances, and remake the balance of power in the city . . . and the world. As Micah explores the implications of her discovery, and Rafe moves quickly to exploit them, Kaab is faced with a calamity that threatens not only her own future, but that of her family and the Kinwiinik people. This episode is brought to you by Paul Witcover, who comes at the changing of the tides to throw our heroes for a whirl.“Lies in Our Stars” continues the 13-part serial, Tremontaine , presented by Serial Box. This prequel to the cult classic Swordspoint is brought to you by the collaborative effort of a team of writers under the creative direction of Ellen Kushner herself. Join the dance of swordplay and scandal, week after week, on Serial Box.com. And don’t forget to share the love! If you’re enjoying Tremontaine, help us get the word out by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Tumblr, and telling your friends about us! We’d also love to hear what you think so please give us a review! “Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.” – Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.” – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom “A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted

    In it, Tran—Minnesota's first Vietnamese librarian and an active member of the Vietnamese-American community—recounts cherished folktales such as "The Story of Tam and Cam" (the Vietnamese version of Cinderella), "The Jade Rabbit," and "The Legend of the Mai Flower." They make perfect new additions for story time or bedtime reading. With beautiful illustrations by veteran artists Nguyen Thi Hop and Nguyen Dong, children and adults alike will be enchanted by Tran's English retellings. Stories in which integrity, hard work and a kind heart triumph over deception, laziness, and greed—as gods, peasants, kings and fools spring to life in legends of bravery and beauty, and fables about nature.The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories will keep Vietnam's folktales alive for them and the legions of young readers who enjoy multicultural children's books and stories set in faraway lands. Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Filipino Favorite Children's Stories, Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories,Balinese Children's Favorite Stories..

    Sometimes the monsters are bloodsucking fiends with fleshy wings. Sometimes they're shambling dead things that won't rest, or simply creatures red in tooth and claw. But often they're worse than any of these. They're the things that make us howl in the darkness, hoping no one hears. These are the monsters we make ourselves, and they can find us anywhere.

    Featuring three brand new, original tales and three reprints, each story explores a different set of characters in a different world and facing different problems in the future world. "Doctor-Patient Confidentiality": A girl wakes up in a cryomed unit and must recall why she's there and what's she's lost. "The Most Precious Memory": In a world where memories are sold and consumed like drugs, one deal has a weird twist."The Girl & the Machine": A time traveler meets someone who claims she's met his future self and that they'll change the world together."Lag": A reporter has found the story of a lifetime--but a malfunctioning teleportation has made her forget it..."The Turing Test": A college student must determine which test subject is human and which is an android with A.I."As They Slip Away": A novella set in the world of Across the Universe, exploring the fate of a side character.

    But aboard the ship she finds a wild, devastatingly handsome bad-boy named Reza and she reluctantly decides to take him under her wing. When the crew overthrows her in disagreement, Cressida and Reza are sold to her rival Captain James Kelly. As tension heats up, Cressida must attempt to tame both of these alpha males. Little does she know both men are hiding a dark, primal secret. This series contains all 5 parts of the Alphas of Black Fortune series. This series is over 75,000 words in total, the length of a long novel.

    Some call it the ultimate frontier. Humans are the verge of breaking its bonds with Earth and reaching other planets, other worlds, other galaxies. And when we do, will we go forth in peace? Or take with us our conflicts, our battles, our wars? In this latest title in the acclaimed 'Future Chronicles' series of speculative fiction anthologies, twelve authors take us on that incredible journey with adventurers, colonists, and space marines as they push the boundaries against the unknown, against alien empires, and themselves. "The Galaxy Chronicles" features stories by USA Today and Amazon bestselling authors Nick Webb (Constitution), Raymond L. Weil (The Lost Fleet), Jasper T. Scott (Dark Space), plus nine more of today's top authors in speculative and science fiction.

    Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story.Since his first collection, Nightshift, published thirty-five years ago, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it.There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. “Afterlife” is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Other stories address what happens when someone discovers that he has supernatural powers—the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in “Obits;” the old judge in “The Dune” who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw names written in the sand, the names of people who then died in freak accidents. In “Morality,” King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil’s pact they can win.Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King’s finest gifts to his constant reader—“I made them especially for you,” says King. “Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”

    I wish I had written some of them.—Lou Beach, author of 420 CharactersGrant Faulkner is the impresario of 100-word stories. The 100 tantalizing fictions in Fissures shock and please—a precious pile of sparkling surprises.—Jane Ciabattari, author of Stealing the Fire and California StoriesGrant Faulkner’s sharply observed, darkly funny, heart-breaking bursts of highly compressed prose offers a startling view of what reality might look like through a funhouse microscope. Fissures pushes the boundaries of flash prose, and thank goodness for that. Sometimes less is so much more.—Dinty W. Moore, author of Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals

    C. Boyle writes, “The Model T gave way to the Model A and to the Ferrari and the Prius . . . modernism to postmodernism and post-postmodernism. We advance. We progress. We move on. But we are part of a tradition.” Boyle’s choices of stories reflect a vibrant range of characters, from a numb wife who feels alive only in the presence of violence to a new widower coming to terms with his sudden freedom, from a missing child to a champion speedboat racer. These stories will grab hold and surprise, which according to Boyle is “what the best fiction offers, and there was no shortage of such in this year’s selections.” Mulling over the question of character likability, series editor Heidi Pitlor asks, “Did I like these characters? I very much liked reading their stories, as did T. C. Boyle.” Here are characters who “are living, breathing people who screw up terribly and want and need and think uneasy thoughts.”   T. C. BOYLE, guest editor, has published fifteen novels and ten collections of short stories. He won the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1988 for his novel World’s End and the Prix Médicis étranger for The Tortilla Curtain in 1995, as well as the 2014 Henry David Thoreau Prize for excellence in nature writing. His most recent book is the novel The Harder They Come. HEIDI PITLOR, series editor, is a former senior editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She is the author of the novels The Birthdays and The Daylight Marriage.

    A Mexican grandmother tells creepy yet fascinating ghost stories to her granddaughters as a way to make them sit still ("How Some Abuelitas Keep Their Chicana Granddaughters Still So That They Can Paint Their Portraits in Winter"). A Polish grandfather spends the night in a Mexican graveyard after a Día de Muertos celebration to discover if ghosts really do consume the food that has been left for them ("Even This Title Is a Ghost").Unforgettable characters inhabit these cross-border tales filled with introspection and longing, as modern sensibilities weave and wind through traditional folktales creating a new kind of magical realism that offers insights into where we come from and where we may be going.A native Californian, Myriam Gurba earned a BA with honors from UC–Berkeley. Her writing has been published by Manic D Press, Future Tense, City Lights, and Seal Press. Her first book, Dahlia Season, won the Publishing Triangle's Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and was shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award. She blogs often for the Rumpus and Radar Productions.

    Among the most monstrous creations of our imaginations, the zombie terrifies with its capacity to pursue its prey unrelentingly, to run it down, exhaust it to surrender.In this title in the acclaimed Future Chronicles series of speculative fiction anthologies, fourteen authors confront that nightmare, that horrific mirror of ourselves turned base, soulless, and hungry.

    A mysterious stalker is on the loose in London known only as the Goblin Man and his sights are set on a wealthy businessman, David Daniels. A horrific explosion rips through Whitechapel Underground Station and the prime suspect is a Jewish anarchist. And a Mrs Clara Edwards is searching for her missing lover, Philias Jackson. What connects these three? It's a dangerous and complex game that connects Sherlock Holmes, Investigator Martin Hewitt, and former Ripper investigator and head of H Division Edmund Reid. The Great American Adventure: In 1888 Mr Sherlock Holmes was beat by Irene Adler aka The Woman. After her marriage she left London. Two years later her husband, Godfrey Norton, is found dead in his New York office after apparently committing suicide. Irene Adler doesn't believe he would do that. She goes to the one person who will help: Sherlock Holmes. Holmes and Watson head to America where they dive into the mysterious life of Godfrey Norton to learn how and why he died.

    Novelist Analise Field is pretty sure that if Gideon cuts her one more time with the sharp side of his tongue, she'll grab a sledgehammer and break something other than his beautiful clay statues. Neither can bear to live more than one wall apart from each other in the Seafall city garret they call home. Gideon is determined that Analise will never discover the secret of his statues, lest her life be in as much danger as his. He will do anything to protect her, even if it means destroying their tenuous chance to be together. Analise will not stand by and watch any friend of hers fight an impossible war alone. If she has to walk through the shifting walls of Breaker House and into another world to help him, that's what she'll do. But in order to go up against a magical Gentry army, Analise Field needs allies. Maybe even one she has to steal right out from under Gideon Alderwood's nose.

    Reapy, Charlotte Riddell, Eimear Ryan, Anakana Schofield, Somerville & Ross, Susan Stairs.Taken together, the collected works of these writers reveal an enrapturing, unnerving, and piercingly beautiful mosaic of a lively literary landscape. Spanning four centuries, The Long Gaze Back features 8 rare stories from deceased luminaries and forerunners, and 22 new unpublished stories by some of the most talented Irish women writers working today. The anthology presents an inclusive and celebratory portrait of the high calibre of contemporary literature in Ireland.These stories run the gamut from heartbreaking to humorous, but each leaves a lasting impression. They chart the passions, obligations, trials and tribulations of a variety of vividly-drawn characters with unflinching honesty and relentless compassion. These are stories to savour.

    That’s TWO complete book SERIES.American EpidemicGreg Atkins is prepper with a mysterious past who lives his day-to-day life as a home security installation man in a quaint suburb in Nevada. Like most Americans, Greg is concerned about the Ebola virus threat in West Africa. And it isn’t soon before the disease begins to spread within the US in an unexplained phenomenon with an advanced strain even more contagious and extreme than before. No one is safe as mass panic erupts across major cities nationwide. It’s up to Greg to use his prepping skills to save himself and those he cares about before the epidemic wipes out everyone in its path. Download the thrilling “American Epidemic” series today!RadioactiveSouthern California is home to sand, surf, and fun in the sun. Jim Farr, a former Naval Intelligence Officer, owns a maritime mechanics company and works as a contractor for the San Diego Naval Base. It’s a normal day on the job until explosions go off. With the Naval Base destroyed, and word of attacks happening around the country, Jim has to get to his sister in Phoenix… But that’s just the beginning. Follow Jim along in this three-part action packed series and find out just what happens when the bombs go off.

    Night is falling, and shadows are gathering in crowds across the city, bronze and sable, flickering, or still as stone.There is always an audience here, for anything – human, beast or object – that comes close to tell its story, or betray its deadly secret...What now? Heartless unkindness – lust for riches – suppressed hatred and rage honed to a razor–? Or some epic sorrow passed into a silver scream.Above everything, the drifting and unavoidable webs of the spinning City gods.So, will you listen in the shadows, or become yourself a story-teller in the bronze half-light?Or do you have another mission here, in Marcheval?A new triumphant trio of dark fantasy stories, in the same vein as Tanith Lee’s previous imaginary city novels of Paradys and Venus.

    This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine. In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around. But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be… In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone. The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world. In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him. Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition. The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.

    In “Mamochka,” which was nominated for the 2012 Journey Prize, an archivist at the Institute for Physics in Minsk, must come to terms with her daughter’s marriage to a Chinese man in Vancouver. In “Peptide P,” scientists study a disease that seems to affect children after they eat hotdogs. In “Side Effects,” a woman’s personality is altered, and not necessarily for the better, by botox injections. In “The Big One,” a woman and her daughter find themselves trapped in the rubble of an underground parking garage after an earthquake.Stylistically varied and with settings that range from North Korea and Minsk to Vancouver and Gdansk, Kovalyova is daring and confident new voice in Canadian fiction.

    Here are a few you will meet: - Florence Nightingale as she introduces the use of statistics in public health - Marie Curie who is still the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in both physics and chemistry—and the only winner whose daughter also won a Nobel Prize - Laura Bassi one of the first women ever awarded a doctoral degree in 17th century Italy - Emmy Noether a founder of Abstract Algebra - Grace Hopper who’s contributions were fundamental to the development of computing - Gertrude B. Elion who is one of the most prolific inventors of new drugs in the 20th century Full of information about the development of women in science over four centuries, this compelling narrative paints a very clear picture of the systemic bias that is still evidenced in the science world today. Through the triumphs of these remarkable women, you’ll find role models and maybe, just

    Taff, Shawn Macomber, Konstantine Paradias, J.C. Michael, Daniel Braum, Maxwell Price, E. Michael Lewis, Paul Michael Anderson and T. Fox Dunham. With work inspired by Trent Reznor, Tom Petty, Dolores O'Riordan, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Syd Barrett, Grace Jones and more.Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher.Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive

    In these stories, a drunken, lonely woman is convinced that her new neighbor is the daughter of her dead lover; a one-armed tennis player and a motherless girl reckon with death amid a rainstorm; and happening upon a car crash, a young woman is unaccountably drawn to the victim, even as he slides into a coma and her marriage falls into jeopardy.Again and again, Beach's protagonists find themselves unable to express their innermost feelings to those they are closest to, but at the same time they are drawn to confide in strangers. In its confidence and subtle precision, Beach’s prose evokes their reticence but is supple enough to reveal deeper passions and intense longing. Shot through with loss and the regret of missed opportunities, Swallowed by the Cold is a searching and crystalline book by a startlingly talented young writer.

    This book centers on the role of movement and self-reflection to create better situations in life. Lisbeth has written beautiful inspirational and motivational essays to help you take control of your body and your life.

    Now, her life has hit rock bottom, and she must fight her way through the airport security determined to impede her journey back to Öland, where she is met with new challenges, forgotten memories, and Mattias—now a successful and wealthy family man. Can Jolie rediscover who she is, and get home in one piece? Contains young lust, old books, and wild strawberries. Previously published in FREQUENT FLYERS Romantic Short Story Collection

    An empty house is still filled with memories of lust and love. Tearing open a birthday gift takes the wrapper off a woman’s deepest fantasy. A breath-stealing ride through a star-studded night sky on a dragon horse ignites a fire never before experienced. A woman is reminded that her long-time partner still sees her through a lover’s eyes. Mount up for a ride through a novella of passion and ten short stories of buried desire, sizzling encounters, and romantic surprises.

    Then Ian, her childhood crush, walked back into her life as one of the club’s Trainers, and proved that their connection was as strong as ever. LOANED by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Annabel Joseph It’s all kinky fun and games, until someone loses their heart.  Bettina’s Master gets off on loaning her to strangers. Afterward, she’s supposed to report back to him with all the raunchy details. It’s all kinky fun and games, until one of those strangers decides he doesn’t want to give her back… BOOTS & WINGS by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Myla Jackson When a woman comes between brothers, passions take wings Pilots, partners and brothers, Jake and Tucker Maddox, are both in love with Molly O’Brien and she’s in love with them. Because of their crazy sibling rivalry she refuses to choose between them, and instead walks away. On the verge of losing the best gal that ever happened to them, the two brothers hatch a desperate scheme to kidnap Molly, carrying her away to their mountain cabin where they convince her she can have them both, if she dares Pin Me Up Proper by USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Cathryn Fox Shackles, blindfolds and ropes, oh my…she’s not in Kansas anymore. Bored with the men in her life, actress Janie Monroe is looking for something different. On a whim, she decides to seduce her cameraman, a guy who comes off as a nerdy video gamer. After enticing him at a pin-up photo shoot, she learns that he does indeed like to play, but instead of a game console and controller, his toys are shackles, blindfolds and ropes. Janie soon finds herself immersed in a world of dark passions where her boundaries are challenged and pleasure beyond her wildest imagination is the prize.  ACCEPTABLE RISK by Candace Blevins Bethany has joked for years that if she ever settles down, it'll be with a harem of men, only it isn't a joke anymore.   Mac is a new werewolf, and still must be watched at every moment to be sure he stays in control. His kink has always been ménage, so when he overhears the beautiful redhead at the bar wanting to take on not only him, but also the werewolf and wereleopard chaperoning his night out… he has to convince them to let him take her home. He might not be trustworthy with a human woman alone, yet, but with two powerful shapeshifters in bed with them, what could go wrong?

    These stories will take you somewhere long ago, and yet much like today. With a touch of humor and a family-loving gentleness, these stories carry all the hope of Christmas. The Wind Chimes-- Still bitter over a hurtful mistake a year ago, Martin Roebuck meets the despised doctor on Christmas Eve. The Two Runaways-- Lost while running away from home, Albert Russell is taken in by an old man, who seems to also have past grievances. On the Fourth Floor-- Though living on the same floor, George Nolan and Christin Rimmers overlook each other-- until a common challenge brings them together the night before Christmas Eve. The Spinster-- Wanting to avoid Christmas loneliness, Milly Lambert finds herself in the cabin of an old woman who holds a wise secret. The Broken Man-- Criminal Arch Fisher attempts to take advantage of a kindly old settler in the woods, but things go miserably awry. Winifred's Adventure-- Elderly couple Amias and Winifred Hambly--eager for an uncommon life--discover a dying mother the day before Christmas.

    If your butt is already tingling as ferociously as ours, then this is the collection for you. Presenting Chuck Tingle’s Scary Stories To Tingle Your Butt, a seven book collection of the most bone-chilling tales to ever harden your bone.Within you will find the following masterworks of modern literature…BIGFOOT PIRATES HAUNT MY BALLSVAMPIRE NIGHT BUS POUNDS MY BUTTANGRY MAN POUNDED BY THE FEAR OF HIS LATENT GAYNESS OVER A DINOSAUR TRANSITIONING INTO A UNICORNMY ASS IS HAUNTED BY THE GAY UNICORN COLONELTHE STATE OF CALIFORNIA STALKS MY GAY BUTTHOLETHE CURSE OF BIGFOOT BUTT CAMPREAMED BY MY REACTION TO THE TITLE OF THIS BOOKReader beware, you’re in for a boner!

    A naked sleepwalker, Wonder Woman wrangled by a housewife, a 1913 murder, sex lessons at church nacho night, the mythic Andromeda in an assisted living facility, a Zambian youth besieged by bullies, and a guy in a dog suit—are just a few of these thirty—eight quirky tales that will keep you thinking long after you put down the book. “Relationships are tricky, whether it’s men and women, fathers and daughters, siblings, or a disabled lady and the gentleman who sleepswims naked in her pool. Kim Drew Wright fearlessly explores the spectrum of human dynamics. With humor and compassion she introduces us to all kinds of characters: the Jesus with great pot, the arthritic dog who forges an unlikely friendship between a widower and a prickly neighbor, the controlling husband who lies to his wife about a letter. Brimming with finesse, The Strangeness of Men is a treasure chest stuffed with literary goodies. Open it up and look inside!” —Boston Literary Magazine “These stories and poems are filled with those small significant moments in life where we try to snatch triumph from calamity. Kim Drew Wright is insightful and her characters are as real as the couple next door, your colleagues, your friends. Fun and sassy, sometimes sad, always heartfelt, this diverse collection is an excellent read.” —Jennifer Falkner, Circa: A Journal of Historical Fiction “Sweet and simple at times, experimental and edgy at others, this short and eclectic collection is imbued with a sense of longing that transcends gender and cuts straight to the heart of the human condition.” —Bill Glose, author of Half a Man and The Human Touch “In The Strangeness of Men, Wright displays an uncanny ability to reveal significance in moments of profound mundanity. These pieces, a beautifully orchestrated collection of stories and poems, speak to our human fragility and resilience. Here, even the briefest encounters resonate with startling insight and poignancy.” —Rebeca Morales, The Milo Review “Kim Drew Wright’s The Strangeness of Men traverses an emotional terrain spanning the complications of modern love to the secrets of lives in subdivisions. With a quick eye to popular culture and sympathy for the small, human moments that make a life meaningful, this collection takes the reader on a journey through the extraordinary within the ordinary.” —Renée K. Nicholson, Souvenir, author of Roundabout Directions to Lincoln Center Kim Drew Wright is an award-winning writer with fiction and poetry published internationally by over a dozen literary journals and organizations, including, The Pinch, The Milo Review, Sixfold, and in an anthology, What We Carry Home. She graduated in journalism from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and enjoyed a career in advertising. She currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and three children. The Strangeness of Men is her debut collection. Find out more at KIMDREWWRIGHT.COM

    Settle in with a cup of hot cocoa, or a large glass of wine, and enter the world of some of your favorite authors! There’s a little bit of everything for you to enjoy, including paranormal, contemporary, sweet romance and downright steamy erotica! Shara Azod - A Home for Christmas RaeLynn Blue - Fruitcake Gynger Fyer - Christmas in Canada Jeanie Johnson & Jayha Leigh - The Twelve Craze of Christmas Marteeka Karland & Shara Azod - A Little Christmas Sugar Kassanna - Joy Serenity King - A Naughty Holiday Surprise Tiffany Monique - A Thigh-High Christmas (The Redux) Reana Malori - Renewal Chaeya Robles - The Christmas Healing Happy Holidays!!

    Your heart might be searching for love but when love finally hits, it shies away from committing. What are the barriers that keep two people away, even when perfect love is just within reach? Explore the ways love can be discovered. Celebrate romance with this quick read ideal for romance fiction lovers.Stories in this collection:Unexpected ValentineThe Magic WithinLove at loggerheadsChained to ShadowsRight or WrongCoffee and ClashesHooded Desire

    Included in this volume are:FERGUSON'S FERRY, by Noel Loomis ... The ferry as the only crossing over the Missouri to the beckoning West, and many men battled to wrest it from Sandy John Ferguson...BOOTHILL GOSPEL, by Chuck Martin ... Men listened to his gospel -- or died by his gun!HELL GATE, by William Colt MacDonald .. Killing men was just another job to Quist...GUNSIGHT TRAIL, by Alan Le May ... A six-shooter siege at the Lazy M ranch! If you enjoy this volume of classic westerns, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the 220+ other entries in this series, covering westerns and historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries -- and much, much more!

    The wind is howling outside, flames roaring in the fireplace, and several people have gathered to tell you spooky and mournful tales for All Hallows Eve. There’s a little something for everyone……a teenager babysitting a bizarre and frightening child……a couple staying at an isolated house in the mountains stalked by something inhuman……a church’s alternative to Halloween that provides something even more terrifying……a boy who wishes that every day was Halloween and lives to regret it……a seasonal prank that goes horribly awry……a child alone in a graveyard hoping to make a connection between the living and the dead…So come inside, sit back, and don’t even think about trying to leave. The doors are all bolted and the windows locked, and you are trapped inside Mark Allan Gunnells’ Halloween House of Horrors!

    Your 50th date can be even hotter than the first ones if you play by the rule of Rachel Kramer Bussel, which means NO rules at all except for an emphasis on pure pleasure. Rachel Kramer Bussel has quickly become America's favorite erotic writer with dozens of best-selling books, awards, and deeply satisfied readers to her credit. Dirty Dates is a delectable collection of stories redolent with romance featuring two people in lust. From first dates to long-term lovers to hook-ups and missed connections, the common theme is coming together in every sense of the word!

    Nothing to worry about, they said. The voice in her head is just an imaginary friend for the daughter of two busy career officers. But even they cannot protect her when the rebel wars deliver devastation right to their door. This story is part of the Targon Tales series, offering a closer look at some of the characters. As a tale, it stands alone but should be read after Only Human (possible spoiler).

    RETAILS FOR OVER $14.99. BUY NOW!! Beatrice King loves everything about her job at the Whitebridge Renaissance Fair. She loves the costumes, she loves the visitors, and she especially loves the two delicious men she has worked with for the past three years. After accidentally stumbling upon them in the midst of a menage, she hasn’t been able to get them out of her head. Finn Macmillan and Sebastian Kol share a secret that binds them together tighter than any oath or bond. Both outcasts of their people, they must keep their Alpha tendencies subdued to maintain their secrecy. Finn, as a dragon shifter, has found refuge in the transient nature of the Renaissance fair, easily hiding his true nature. As a Bear shifter with a troubled past, and even more trouble trusting people, Sebastian considers it a true blessing that Finn found him, and took him under his wings. Beatrice finally gets the chance to make all her fantasies a reality, but can she overcome her own doubts to make it happen? WARNING: Each book are single romance books with no cliffhanger, a HEA or HFN ending and can be read as stand-alones. This book contains window-foggingly steamy sex, adult language and possible violence. Intended for 18+ audiences. **KINDLE UNLIMITED MEMBERS READ FOR FREE!!** WARNING:This eBook contains mature themes and language. Intended for 18+ readers only! SCIFI INTERRACIAL ROMANCE INVOLVING MAIL ORDER BRIDE AND PREGNANCY = SWEET ALIEN BBW ROMANCE!! Vanna is embarking on a 25-year long journey to the distant planet, Alpha Aquila. She has never traveled so far from home, far from her father and twin sisters but it is mandatory that she go. She is fulfilling an obligation, made by her grandfather, to repopulate a planet that was stricken with war and disease. It is a great honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of mothering an entire planet, but Vanna is nervous. Her overprotective father never allowed Vanna to get close to men on earth and she has never met her future husband. Will her new husband treat her with the care and tenderness that Vanna so desires? Will she ever be able to find the companionship that she was forbidden on Earth? HOT BWWM PREGNANCY ROMANCE INVOLVING ALPHA NAVY SEAL AND A BBW! Jenna is at a crossroads in her life. For so long she's wanted to leave the small town in which she grew up but was held there to take care of her father after her mother died. Now she's met Riley, and the tall hunk has given her a new lease of life, but can she be happy in that small town? It's not only her that has problems though. Her friend Emily is dealing with heartbreak, and Jenna's father has a surprise in store for her, which could change Jenna's life dramatically. With all this going on can she still find time for the steamy, sensual nights with Riley? WARNING: Each book are single romance books with no cliffhanger, a HEA or HFN ending and can be read as stand-alones.

    Unlike Zeke, Will, an oddball budding filmmaker, was too young to remember their parents, and to him their mother’s murder is just a case file. Nonetheless, Zeke takes his brother on a road trip across the eight-hundred and seventy-two miles that stretch between LA and the Eyman Prison complex in Arizona to view the execution. As they drive through the desert in their beat-up car, they keep up a steady banter about the mundane—school, girls, and everything in between. But as they move closer to their destination, each must confront the family history that left an indelible imprint on their lives.Vivid and surprisingly funny, Twelve Years, Eight-Hundred and Seventy-Two Miles speaks to the irrelevancy of recovery once the worst has been survived.

    The stories are a mixed assortment of spooky, action adventure, and horror tales.SECTION 2: Interviews with the fictional characters giving the reader the inside scoop on their upcoming novels.Never let the adventure end...Stories:1. FEAST ON FAT TUESDAY: At Mardi Gras, a vampire realizes he has become the prey.2. AND THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED: The discovery of Atlantis changes the world in ways no one could have ever anticipated...or wanted.3. SUMMER VACATION: A teenager discovers that not only is black magic real, it’s also very unpredictable.4. THE INVISIBLE CARRIER: A deadly plague is spreading through the Pacific Northwest, but no one can figure out how. It might just be the truth is too strange to believe.5. UNNATURAL DISASTERS: Governments are isolating disaster sites from the rest of the world. What are they trying to hide?6. WILL THE REAL MONSTER PLEASE STAND UP? A rampaging mummy, two insane cats, and a secret government agency. For archeologist Alistair Black, it’s turning into a very strange night.

    In this remarkable anthology, Ben Marcus has corralled a vital and artistically singular crowd of contemporary fiction writers. Collected here are practitioners of deep realism, mind-blowing experimentalism, and every hybrid in between. Luminaries and cult authors stand side by side with the most compelling new literary voices. Nothing less than the American short story renaissance distilled down to its most relevant, daring, and unforgettable works, New American Stories puts on wide display the true art of an American idiom.

    These entertaining stories portray the lives of the people who know where they are, but don't know what they're doing.

    A series of fragments of what had and what might have been.Four short stories traverse the heart of Japan through the seasons.