The nine stories in this collection feature four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church's double standards and their own needs and passions. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be, and as free as they deserve to be.

    And his imagination was clearly in overdrive. Five brand new novellas and novelettes and one novella reworked and expanded from a story first published in 2019. Together, they form Lockdown Tales, exploring the latter days of the Polity universe and beyond. What lies in wait for humanity after the Polity has gone?Six stories, 150,000 words of fiction that crackle with energy, invention and excitement. Within their pages you will encounter Prador, hoopers, sassy A.I.s, a resurrected Golem, a mutated giant whelk that can ravage an island, hooders, megalomaniacs, war drones, Penny Royal, an intriguing SFnal take on High Plains Drifter and another with echoes of Robinson Crusoe... In fact, everything you might expect from concentrated Neal Asher and more.

     Awake Jace's first meeting with Clary in City of Bones, from Isabelle's point of view 2. When Midnight Comes Jace's view of his first kiss with Clary 3. Because It Is Bitter The scene that takes place during pages 170-174 of City of Ashes, in the chapter ​The Seelie Court​, here from Jace’s point of view. Boy, is Jace bitter here. 4. Jace POV Manor Scene Over the years, many people have asked for this — Jace’s point of view of the “hot and heavy” scene in THIS GUILTY BLOOD, Chapter Nine of City of Glass. I’ve taken a few liberties here — the scene goes on a few moments past what happens in the printed version of CoG — but then so did the original draft! 5. The Act of Falling Jace’s perspective on the alleyway kiss in City of Fallen Angels 6. Our Waking Souls Jace and Clary connect during a trip to Faerie, takes place during Lord of Shadows 7. A Long Conversation Jace and Clary marriage proposal, take one. 8. A Love That Never Tires Jace and Clary marriage proposal, take two.

    Ten Illustrated Essays About Scrubs

    The Gravedigger is a serial kidnapper who taunts the police with riddles. The other puzzle is his motive, which Fitz is determined to piece together. When an eyewitness to the latest abduction leads Fitz closer to the facts, he realizes that the last great story of his career is not at all what it appears to be.Jeffery Deaver’s Buried is part of Hush, a collection of six stories, ranging from political mysteries to psychological thrillers, in which deception can be a matter of life and death. Each piece can be read or listened to in one truly chilling sitting.

    Sometimes we want to know more about our favorite characters. Where they came from, how they became who they are, their families, friendships, and past heartaches. These snippets of moments in time offer an inside look at the lives of our favorite THIRDS characters. Whether it’s first shifts, the forging of unbreakable bonds, or a night full of shenanigans, these stories are sure to enrich your THIRDS reading experience.This book contains flash fiction stories that are a companion to the THIRDS series. While reading these stories would enhance your experience of the THIRDS world, it is not necessary to read them in order to enjoy the series.The THIRDS Beyond the Books volumes should be read after completing the THIRDS series, as the flash fiction stories refer to events that have happened or have been mentioned in the main series and therefore may contain spoilers.

    Two of the stories have already been singled out for accolades: "Baptism" was chosen by Roxane Gay for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories 2018, and "Neighbors" was selected by Jonathan Lethem for The Best American Mystery Stories 2019. And in revisiting Serena Pemberton, Rash updates his bestselling parable of greed run amok as his deliciously vindictive heroine returns to the North Carolina wilderness she left scarred and desecrated to make one final effort to kill the child that threatens all she has accomplished.

    Sometimes we want to know more about our favorite characters. Where they came from, how they became who they are, their families, friendships, and past heartaches. These snippets of moments in time offer an inside look at the lives of our favorite THIRDS characters. Whether it’s first shifts, the forging of unbreakable bonds, or a night full of shenanigans, these stories are sure to enrich your THIRDS reading experience. This book contains flash fiction stories that are a companion to the THIRDS series. While reading these stories would enhance your experience of the THIRDS world, it is not necessary to read them in order to enjoy the series. The THIRDS Beyond the Books volumes should be read after completing the THIRDS series, as the flash fiction stories refer to events that have happened or have been mentioned in the main series and therefore may contain spoilers.

    We meet a runaway teen, a mattress salesman, feral kittens, an elderly bachelorette wearing a horsehair locket, and a little girl named after Shania Twain. Here, time and memory circle above Phillips’ characters like vultures and angels, as they navigate the only landscape they’ve ever known. Corn reaches for rain, deer run blindly, and no matter how hungry or hurt, some forgotten hymn is always remembered. “The literary love child of Carson McCullers and John the Baptist, Ashleigh Bryant Phillips’ imagination is profoundly original and private," writes Rebecca Lee. Sleepovers is the winner of the 2019 C. Michael Curtis Short Story Book Prize, selected by Lauren Groff.

    Finally, all of those bonus scenes are now available in one novella. On Dublin Street: The Bonus Material includes:Joss and BradenTwo shorts - An On Dublin Street Christmas and An On Dublin Street Halloween.Five fan-favorite scenes from On Dublin Street re-written from Braden's perspective, two of which have never before been published.A never before published Braden "Before Jocelyn" scene.Jo and CamA fan-favorite scene from Down London Road re-written from Cam's perspective.The never before published cut prologue.Olivia and NateTwo fan-favorite scenes from Before Jamaica Lane re-written from Nate's perspective.Hannah and MarcoA fan-favorite scene from Fall From India Place re-written from Marco's perspective.Shannon and ColeA fan-favorite scene from Echoes of Scotland Street re-written from Cole's perspective.Grace and LoganA fan-favorite scene from Moonlight on Nightingale Way re-written from Logan's perspective.Also part of the paperback edition, On Dublin Street: The Novellas.

    This collection contains no material that has not been previously released.

    

    Bodily autonomy and transformation, the importance of negative emotions, unhealthy relationships, and bad situations amidst the staggering and urgent question of how build and nurture meaning, love, and safety in a larger world/society that might not be "fixable."

    Spanning a century and two continents - from the muddy fields of Ireland to a hotel room in Paris, a dingy bar in Segovia to an aeroplane bound for Taipei - these densely layered tales reveal the quiet heroism and gentle dignity of ordinary life. Ranging from the elegiac to the brutally confrontational, Billy O'Callaghan's stories explore the resilience of the human heart and its ability to keep beating even in the wake of grief, trauma and lost love.'The best fiction I have read this year... Taut, subtle and moving, and brought off beautifully' John Banville, Best Books of 2020, Irish Times

     An odd feeling indeed, to wield this kind of power. To be this kind of force. As near to magical as any mortal should stride. A technician of unspeakable joy. Braving the neon mountains to return with blue raspberry concentrate. Tearing out sundae cone fangs from the mouths of snow beasts. And so on. Cone dealer, sunshine stealer, alleyway counselor, lunch lady to the homeless, friend to the dead, maker of sandwiches. Metal wrangler. Stag among stags. And so it goes—another journey through time spent punched in. A life's work of working for a living. Blood, death, and violence. Dirty dishes, dead roaches, and sparkler-lit nights. Nights ahead and no real fate. So open your mouths because the forecast calls for sprinkles. Thirteen delights, scooped and served. Let it melt down your hand. Let the sun burn your face. It's the ice cream man, and other stories.

    A ranger working along the Blue Ridge Parkway realizes that the dark side of the job, the all too frequent discovery of dead bodies, has taken its toll on her. Haunted by his past, and his future, a tech sergeant reluctantly spends a night with his estranged parents before being deployed to Afghanistan. Nearing fifty and facing new medical problems, a woman wonders if her short stint at the local chemical plant is to blame. A woman takes her husband’s research partner on a day trip to her favorite place on earth, Dollywood, and briefly imagines a different life.In the vein of Bonnie Jo Campbell and Lee Smith, Leah Hampton writes poignantly and honestly about a legendary place that’s rapidly changing. She takes us deep inside the lives of the women and men of Appalachia while navigating the realities of modern life with wit, bite, and heart.

    Watson, has finally decided to publish: A wealthy businessman is found bludgeoned to death in his locked and guarded hotel room; Poison has mysteriously finds its way into the sacramental wine at a Mass in a rural village with deadly consequences; An alchemist is found shot to death after having seemingly turned lead into gold; And finally, an irritatingly unsuccessful suit salesman plummets to his death from one of the steepest cliffs in England...only he didn't jump.

    But after a year of searching, he has given up hope of finding the right woman. Anticipating a quiet Christmas with his mother, Roland is frustrated to learn she has organized an entire house party to help him find a bride. Cassandra Bell arrives for the house party with her twin sister Vivian, who has set her heart on winning a proposal from the eligible Mr. Hastings. But when Vivian grows ill, she begs Cassie to switch places with her and keep the other conniving ladies away from Mr. Hastings. Cassie reluctantly takes on the role of her poised and proper twin, but things become much more complicated when Roland begins to take an interest in the spunky and unconventional Cassie...PROMISE ME AGAIN by Annette LyonSecret wedding plans. A powerful brother who will go to any lengths to stop them. Can love truly conquer all? Miriam and Jacob have loved each other for as long as they can remember. They want to wed, but Jacob's older brother Norman forbids it. Deciding to do so secretly without his blessing, Miriam and Jacob make plans to marry on Christmas Eve at a church several hours’ journey away. Despite their efforts, Norman’s long reach finds them. Miriam’s love is tested to the very limit when she is forced into a devil’s bargain with him. She agrees only to spare Jacob pain, but can their hearts find their way back to each other no matter what—or who—stands in their way?A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY by Jennifer MooreThe war is over, but Lucy Breckenridge’s plans for a perfect Christmas are ruined when Captain James Stewart brings news that her father will not return in time for the holiday. Determined to not miss yet another Christmas with her father, Lucy starts on a journey for London with her trusty maid and manservant. Learning they have gone, James follows, hoping to stop her before she discovers the true reason for Colonel Breckenridge’s absence. Along the way, the two join in local holiday celebrations and learn that families have flaws, friendship requires trust, and Christmas traditions can be created in the most unexpected places.

    From Honduras to Lanzarote and from beach houses to camping, there’s something for everyone.Including:Stranded Lise GoldBlisters and Beer Claire Highton-StevensonBeach House KC LuckOrder Up! Cara MaloneTropical Heat TB MarkinsonAlways Check The Reviews Amanda RadleyPark Service Aurora Rey#MissedOpportunities Erin ZakInsomnia Club Emma Radley⚠ This collection is limited edition and will only be available for sale during the summer of 2020, so grab your copy now! ⚠

    Set in the American Midwest, England, and India (Mumbai, Ahmedabad, rural Gujarat) the stories in Each of Us Killers are about people trying to realize their dreams and aspirations through their professions. Whether they are chasing money, power, recognition, love, or simply trying to make a decent living, their hunger is as intense as any grand love affair. Straddling the fault lines of race, class, caste, gender, nationality, globalization, and more, they go against sociocultural norms despite challenges and indignities until singular moments of quiet devastation turn the worlds of these characters—auto-wallah, housemaid, street vendor, journalist, architect, baker, engineer, saree shop employee, professor, yoga instructor, bartender, and more—upside down."Challenging assumptions, confronting power, manipulating barriers whenever possible-even at grave personal cost-Bhatt's cast surprises, inspires, frightens, beguiles, but never disappoints." ~Shelf Awareness (starred review)Most anticipated debuts of 2020 at Electric Literature, Literary Hub, The Millions, Kirkus Reviews, Entropy Magazine, Debutiful, Ms. Magazine, Bustle. Best story collections of 2020 at Bustle and Largehearted Boy. Best collections of 2020 by Asian authors at Book Riot.". . . rich debut . . . a powerful expression of the hunger for success on one's own terms." ~Publishers Weekly". . . nuanced, clear-eyed tales of unvarnished humanity. [...] A formally diverse collection with exquisitely crafted stories about longing, striving, and learning what we can control." ~Kirkus Reviews"With this powerful, complex work, Bhatt should be launched into a wider readership that is fully deserved, and the literary world should rejoice in discovering a bright new star." ~Dallas Morning News. . . you will feel that you have encountered this level of skill, craft, and complexity before in reading the masters of the short story genre--even while the author subverts what we so often encounter in the genre about notions of loss and lonely voices and who gets to tell their own stories." ~Texas Public Radio". . . Bhatt peels back shells of self-awareness, revealing understandings of the often subtle distinctions of gender, race, and family expectations that define and confine them." ~The National Book Review". . . Bhatt gets under the skin of her characters with an ease that is difficult to achieve when creating characters beyond the pale of capital and caste. [. . .] using lively, sculpted language that avoids the stilted, literary English often afflicting Indian English writing." ~The Hindu". . . variety of literary techniques of plot, style, and voice--including the refreshing second-person singular and first-person plural--Bhatt's stories effortlessly straddle class, caste, gender, and race divides spanning the US, England, and India." ~Open The Magazine"Taken together, [the stories] show Bhatt's wide range, both in theme and style, and her ability to inhabit characters who couldn't be more different from each other." ~New York Journal of Books"Interspersing loss and longing, survival and success, in an array of memories, shades, moods, dreams [. . .] Bhatt packs in a powerful compilation, rich in prose and poetry . . ." ~NRI Pulse". . . brings a range of lived experience, experimentation, and stylistic variety, which announces a seasoned practitioner rather than a newcomer to fiction." ~India Currents". . . a collection that is as important in the telling as in remembering the times we live in and the times to come." ~The Hindu Business Line"Bhatt's deliberate expansion of established tropes about Indians and the Indian diaspora deserves special accolades." ~Leonard Prize 2020 Nominations, National Book Critics Circle" . . . exploration of South Asian identity in the workplace through a wide lens instead of the traditional representations. . ." ~Puerto del Sol". . . characters who are bound to their work, either by choice or circumstance, as they attempt to thwart societal expectations and break down barriers . . ." ~Phoebe Journal". . . as compulsively readable as it is sharp and as enjoyable as it is thought-provoking [. . .] an accomplished and impressive debut." ~Vagabond City"[. . .] interact with multiple voices, listening to the struggles of various characters, and enjoying cultural details through the incredible use of language and literary techniques [. . .] the entire collection is an enlightening voyage." ~Platform Magazine"Jenny Bhatt's gorgeous stories in Each of Us Killers remind me why I love to read a good book. It is such a pleasure to be immersed in the worlds of her characters, in their hunger for love or money, and in their local and global struggles to live. With mouth-watering detail, Bhatt serves up a rich and varied feast." ~Devi S. Laskar, Author of The Atlas of Reds and Blues"The potent stories in this collection evoke the complexities of a shifting, multilingual world with great precision. Bhatt moves between countries and realities with tremendous skill and insight." ~Idra Novey, author of Those Who Knew"In a series of thrilling, beautiful stories, Jenny Bhatt moves through the moods, thoughts, subversions involved in the experience of interracial relationships, East-West communications, theft, justice, migration. The collection works brilliantly both as an evocative amalgam of insightful observations about race, class, gender, aspirations, as well as on the sentence level. Bhatt writes, "polish it carefully, till it glitters with the hope of a false diamond and refracts your stark life into a spectrum of luminous rays, lighting up the darkness briefly"-referring to a character's particular memory, but could just as well be referring to the collection as a whole." ~Chaya Bhuvaneswar, Author of White Dancing Elephants"In Each of Us Killers, Jenny Bhatt excavates her characters with incisiveness, nuance, and complexity. The cast of vibrant characters in this wonderful collection is absolutely unique and memorable." ~Karen E. Bender, author of The New Order"This is a gorgeous collection. Bhatt weaves together, with the lightest touch, profound themes--work, ambition, displacement, class, and gender, and so much more. Her plots are beautifully rendered and her scope vast; her characters and her settings come to life on the page. These stories are full of bitter heartbreak with a measure of joy--a wonderful collection from a hugely talented writer." ~Lydia Kiesling, author of The Golden State"Sex, death, redemption, betrayal--this collection has it all, from the sordid to the divine. Bhatt's vivid imagination and well-voiced characters will take you on a ride you won't soon forget." ~Mathangi Subramanian, author of A People's History of Heaven"These stories are filled with wisdom and compassion, bristling with dark occurrences and gleaming with quiet moments of joy: an enriching collection." ~Mahesh Rao, author of Polite Society"Moving, haunting stories that explore a wide range of complex social inequities and yet share an undercurrent of a deep and very human kind of longing." ~Aatif Rashid, author of Portrait of Sebastian Khan"Each of Us Killers offers up a complex portrait of our times. From caste-based violence to domestic power play, from yoga to the under-seam of real-estate development, Bhatt uses a dozen devices to examine the lives of people around us, the choices that define them and, ultimately, our selves." ~Annie Zaidi, author of Unbound, 2000 Years of Indian Women's Writing"Ambitious, sensitive, this collection locates some essential Indian truths, especially its hidden violence." ~Prayaag Akbar, author of Leila

    The characters in these stories long for freedom, truth, friendship, courage, and second chances, but each person will have to grapple with the consequences and costs of their desires.

    So they vote to secede, rename themselves America in memory of their former country, and happily set themselves up to receive tourists from their closest neighbor: America. Couldn't happen? Well, it might, and so it goes in the thirteen stories in Matthew Baker's brilliantly illuminating, incisive, and heartbreaking collection Why Visit America.The book opens with a seemingly traditional story in which the speculative element is extremely minimal--the narrator has a job that doesn't actually exist--a story that wouldn't seem much out of place in a collection of literary realism. From there the stories get progressively stranger: a young man breaks the news to his family that he is going to transition--from an analog body to a digital existence. A young woman abducts a child--her own--from a government-run childcare facility. A man returns home after committing a great crime, his sentence being that his memory--his entire life--is wiped clean.As the book moves from universe to universe, the stories cross between different American genres: from bildungsroman to rom com, western to dystopian, including fantasy, horror, erotica, and a noir detective mystery. Read together, these parallel-universe stories create a composite portrait of the true nature of the United States and a Through the Looking-Glass reflection of who we are as a country.

    Your boyfriend is many boyfriends, possibly all the boyfriends you’ve ever had or will have. But you must ask yourself whether you have them or they have you. Your boyfriend plays jokes on you—plays jokes on the world. He is forever unattainable, and still you love your boyfriend, even when it hurts you. Doss explores how relationships can be all-consuming, how we transform ourselves to fit within their contour. Eventually, you might change so much that you don’t even fit inside your own body. This book is so much about space—the physical, emotional, and mental spheres that everyone inhabits. Doss uses humor to deal with the isolation that each of us experiences—not because we’re alone, but because we’ve become detached from ourselves, our needs, and our desires. Boy Oh Boy is our chance to understand Zachary Doss, as well as our strangest selves.

    The nightmarish effects of the most depressing holiday song of all time. A virtual reality environment that allows you to enact your most depraved fantasies…sort of. A cheerful snack mascot who snaps under the pressure. Giant mutant cockroaches doing battle with zombies in the Old West. An unnerving discovery in the Book of Revelations. The true secret of silent comedian Buster Keaton's success. Plus a Halloween curse, a lot of psychopaths, and much more!Often hilarious, frequently gruesome, and sometimes just flat-out wrong to the point where laughing at them presents a moral quandary, Candy Coated Madness is Strand at his demented best!Table of contents...Virtual Reality Kill ZoneGood DeedsCaptain Pistachio's Charming RampageThe Last Thing You Want To BeLab Experiment Turf WarNo TomatoClyde the NecrophileDon't Make Fun of the Haunted HouseIvan's Night OutPointy CanesGiant Mutant Cockroaches in the Old West Vs. ZombiesOutpouringSmashing JacksFaerieGreen SuitsThe FraudHostileThe Great Stone Face Vs. The GargoylesParodyAwakeningDismemberment FraudBeware! The! Beverage!Rotten EggsGave Up The GhostDecember BirthdayMy Werewolf Neighbor

    Tired of pushing. Tired of being pushed. Tired of feeling alone. Tired of so much.So she gathered together a pack of wolves, a band of mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, partners, friends, lovers, survivors, victors and brilliant, shining things, and she told them to sing.And sing they did.The result is We Are Wolves, a chorus of of terrifying, moving and heart-breaking stories from some of horror’s finest contemporary writers including Gemma Amor, Laurel Hightower, Cina Pelayo, Sarah Read, Hailey Piper, V Castro, Sara Tantlinger, Sonora Taylor and many more.All proceeds from the sale of this charity anthology will go towards helping the survivors of abuse and assault.

    Universal Love welcomes readers to a near-future world where our everyday technologies have fundamentally altered the possibilities and limits of how we love one another. In these gripping stories, a young boy tries to understand what keeps his father tethered to the drowned city they call home. A daughter gets to know her dead mother's hologram better than she ever knew her living mother. And, at a time when unpleasant memories can be erased, a man undergoes electronic surgery to have his depression, and his past, forever removed.In an age when technology offers the easiest cures for loneliness, the characters within these stories must wrestle with what it means to stay human in an increasingly cybernetic future, and how love can endure even the most alluring upgrades.In the vein of Weinstein’s critically-acclaimed first collection, Universal Love is a visionary book, written with one foot in the real world and one stepping bravely into the future.

    Perfect because they are, down to their syllables. Weird because what they do feels so broken it hurts. It's a kind of double whammy effect, part awe, part ache, that's truly singular as far as I know." ​​—​Dennis Cooper, author of The Marbled Swarm ​ "I don't like telling people what to do and I don't like being told what to do. But right now I'm telling you to read the stories of Troy James Weaver. From the beginning, Weaver's been unafraid to show us humanity in all its grotesque, stupid, and beautiful glory. His stories are for the young and for the old, for the strong and the weak, for the sick and the dying and the dead. Luckily, if you're reading this, you're alive and you're holding this book in your hands. Read these stories and learn a little bit about what it means to be alive." ​​—​Joseph Grantham, author of Raking Leaves

    

    It reaches out and discovers that the others—its siblings—have abandoned this cancerous womb long ago. Angry and alone, it thrashes violently…tearing, clawing its way from dormancy into daylight…and onto the dark playground of your bookshelf.Amid these pages, Southern horror master Ronald Kelly has brought together aloathsome assemblage of stories that cut deeply and expose the raw nerves offright and revulsion. Joining his extreme horror collections, The Sick Stuff andMore Sick Stuff, is a third installment of yarns both new and old…Even Sicker Stuff.Combined, they meld and morph, forming The Essential Sick Stuff. Twenty-threeabhorrent tales to tantalize and torture the fragile psyche; to cause the stomachto revolt and gooseflesh to crawl as though something, visceral and alive, lurksjust beneath the surface…

    An era in which governments behave irrationally. Diseases ravage the populous. And internet culture threatens to change who we really are. Modern life, for many, is one giant trigger warning. You need a place of sanctuary, a refuge from the chaos - so follow me now, into The Comfort Zone and Other Safe Spaces. In the Zone nothing is what it seems. Houses defy the laws of nature while bodies become portals to impossible worlds. Viruses harbour mystifying enigmas and technologies incite the most subversive of desires. Unfathomable encounters lurk both beneath the waves and between the stars. Even birth and death, once knowable certainties, are here warped beyond all recognition. In his debut collection, Tom Over pushes the boundaries of genre storytelling into startling new realms. From transgressive weird fiction to 80s-inspired splatterpunk, from surreal dreamscapes to body horror nightmares. Exploring both earthbound fears and uncharted cosmic terror, these stories will lure you into spaces that, upon inspection, may prove not safe after all...

    When confronted by such savage beasts, the vulnerability of humanity is often exposed. Will we rise above, or will we succumb to our inevitable demise? These sixteen horror stories by Red Lagoe explore the supernatural as well as human horror associated with grief, guilt, severed relationships, and severed limbs.

    With this anthology, we wanted to give women the chance to take something back to show their skills and storytelling abilities, but to also create striking stories that resonate profoundly with readers: Protagonists who take no shit; women who save themselves; women who slay the beast; women who become the monster.

    Has any writer given so many pleasures and mysteries, and both so unstintingly.

    Some stories are funny, some poetic, some vulgar, and some are a little disturbing. Each story has been lovingly crafted to amuse and entertain you in six words.Six Word Wonder is a social media sensation, with over 10,000 followers on Instagram @sixwordwonderNow, for the first time, Doug brings his best tiny stories together in one collection. Unlocking the cage, she stepped out.Cupid. Tomorrow, aim for his head.Home alone, but toilet just flushed.Baby loves whining. Mother loves wine.…reader. I’m a very gifted mind…I poured two glasses… then remembered.Take a moment out of your hectic schedule to enjoy a Six Word Wonder.

    Inclusive. Unconditional. Tina couldn’t relate to the hackneyed portrayal of women in mainstream media - the over glossed and bared version. Bhumi, her debut fiction, is a beautiful ode to womanhood. It features women protagonists across all age groups who breathe and come alive, unlike their cookie-cutter counterparts in mainstream art and literature.The sixteen stories are spare and elegant. Each story stands out as each one narrates a story that brings along a dose of positivity or a feeling of warmth or may cause a tiny tear to trickle down your face. Read Bhumi for an uplifting and memorable reading experience.

    Home is where the heart is, even if your sister lives in another city--and is a shape-changing monster. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, so how can you know who you’re supposed to be if your parents are a human and a vampire?Edited by Allison O'Toole (Wayward Sisters), Ashanti Fortson (Heartwood) and Kat Vendetti (Rolled & Told), Wayward Kindred looks at the different ways we can relate to our families, for better or for worse. Inside you’ll find stories of grief and loss, understanding and reconciliation, and telecom contracts, all featuring monsters ranging from the gruesome to the adorable.

    A man in his mid-thirties receives a call from a woman he barely knew who informs him that a girl he bedded and dumped in high school has died of cancer. Another man who had an affair and left a woman without any warning finds himself working on a demolition job with a younger man who might be their son. Another man, obese for years, is left by his wife, loses weight and, drunk with the power of being finally fit, disastrously tries to reconnect with his former spouse. And in the title story of the collection, a woman summoned to the bedside of her son who has suffered a gunshot wound must finally come to terms with the serial infidelities of her charming ex-husband. These fictions ask very contemporary questions: how do ex-spouses learn to live again in proximity to one another; how do we make peace with our bodies and their own worst impulses; how do we learn to turn and face, full-on, the worst mistakes of our younger selves?

    

    Its stories feature sapphic ghosts, terrifying creatures of the sea, and haunted houses concealing their own secrets. Whether you're looking for your non-binary knight in shining armour or a poly family to murder with, Unspeakable showcases the best contemporary Gothic queer short fiction. Even dark tales deserve their time in the sun.

    A new homeowner discovers her property comes with a deadly addition. And dark forces stalk a troop of innocent boy scouts when they spend the night on a haunted aircraft carrier…Scare Street delves into the darkness to bring you a new collection of spine-tingling terror. This diabolical tome is bursting with thirteen sinister stories of supernatural horror, featuring ghastly ghosts, cold-blooded killers, and fiendish visions torn from your worst fears.Just be careful you don’t lose track of time as you meander through this shadowy landscape of dreams and nightmares. Because once the sun sets, something waits for you in the darkness of night.And if it finds you, you may never see daylight again…This bone-chilling supernatural collection contains:1. Cool Air by Peter Cronsberry2. The Presentation by Tarphy W. Horn3. The Homeowner's Guide to Sanity by K. M. McKenzie4. Retrospective: Florne's Ghost by Emil Pellim5. 7734 by Ryan Benson6. Aisle 3 by Rosie O'Carroll7. Pumpkin Patch by C. B. Channell8. The Third Father by A. M. Todd9. Troop 94’s Last Scouting Trip by Karl Melton10. Play It, Win It, Kill It by J. M. White11. Satan's Town by Bob Johnston12. Everything as It Was by Warren Benedetto13. Summer Camp by Ron Ripley

    Stories like Secret Santa, Brag and Gag, In the Nick of Time, The Roar of the Crowd, and Opposites Attract will give you a chuckle. Other stories like Everyone's a Critic, Spread Joy and Holiday Magic will make your holidays even more enjoyable.

    or perhaps it's already here? It's an infected apocalypse and we're all (alone) in it together! 100% of proceeds will go to the Save the Children Response.Features short stories by: F. Paul Wilson, John Palisano, Mark Towse, R.J. Meldrum, Rebecca Fraser, Tabby Stirling, Pochassi, Patrick J. Gallagher, Claire Fitzpatrick, Tom Prince, Brianna Courtney Bullen, T.C. Phillips, Edward Ahern, Calvin Demmer, Chris Mason, Catherine McCarthy, Brian Bowyer, Louise Zedda-Sampson, Eugene Johnson, Shaun Taylor, Noel Osualdini, Irene Punti, Gerri Leen, Tracy Fahey, Eric J. Guignard, Yash Seyedbagheri, Steve Dillon.

    John Harrison’s writing has defied categorisation, building worlds both unreal and all-too real, overlapping and interlocking with each other. His stories are replete with fissures and portals into parallel dimensions, unidentified countries and lost lands. But more important than the places they point to are the obsessions that drive the people who so believe in them, characters who spend their lives hunting for, and haunted by, clues and maps that speak to the possibility of somewhere else.This selection of stories, drawn from over 50 years of writing, bears witness to that desire for difference: whether following backstreet occultists, amateur philosophers, down-and-outs or refugees, we see our relationship with ‘the other’ in microscopic detail, and share in Harrison’s rejection of the idea that the world, or our understanding of it, could ever be settled.

    

    Five short stories that revolve around the love between women and the fantastical world they inhabit.Sagas of a mermaid fascinated by the enclosure next to hers. A genius young woman trying to reach a stranger in the sky. A bog hag threatening to eat a princess that can’t seem to stay away from her. Astronauts conversing as one hurtles into Jupiter’s atmosphere on a doomed voyage. A woman cursed to grow flowers from her skin when kissed and the knight that promises to save her.Inspired by fairy tales, folklore, classic science fiction, and more. Love is all around us—and more magical than ever in these tales of overcoming the obstacles that keep us apart.

    Trap Jones guides this initiation into our favorite genre of dark fiction: SplatterpunkThe ceremony includes black magick curses, encounters of the fourth kind, and bizarre office politics. Story settings range from a dystopic United Kingdom down to the a convenience store stocking a very malicious product.

    Seven incredible, Indian, contemporary, second chance romances. One epic anthology.  What would you do for a second chance with the one you love?  Something Old, Something New, a unique novella anthology, tries to answer this question with fantastic, different, desi dramas. Whether it is shapeshifters or shifting interracial relationships, single moms in small towns or rich alpha heroes, friends-to-lovers or passionate ex-husbands; this anthology has something for everyone. In Coming Home, Andaleeb Wajid’s brooding bad boy Jehangir meets his match in fiery Meesha in a Coorg small town. In Never Stopped Loving You, Ruchi Singh’s Arjun and Radhika are passionate exes whose messy past collides with heartbreaking romantic suspense in the now. Neil D’Silva gives a dark, paranormal, feminist take on Beauty and the Beast in Blood Red Love with Vimal and Yamini! Paper Hearts and Promises by Devika Fernando is a sweet, multicultural love story of Australian Luke and Taara which spans years and continents and exquisite paper lanterns! Preethi Venugopala’s My Warmest Sorrow is a soft and contemporary take on college sweethearts, Diana and Ajay. The classic rich girl, poor boy divide between Samaira and Raghav is explored with marvelous angst in Shilpa Suraj’s My Heart’s Regret. While Aarti V Raman’s No Other Love takes readers on a rollercoaster office romance to a small beach town where divorced doctors Anika and Vikrant have to live and work together...and maybe rediscover each other.   Something Old, Something New explores the many different facets of love, forgiveness, fated mates and more in seven, distinctly Indian tales!

    Inspired by the approach and style of A Literary Christmas, this carefully chosen anthology celebrates the wonders of the Christmas season, following the escapades of Santa Claus and adventures of the frost fairies. Divided into five sections, this anthology of historical and modern stories covers festive traditions, fairytales, gift-giving, and family fun. Timeless favorites from Charles Dickens, Clement C. Moore, and Louisa May Alcott are presented alongside award-winning and contemporary voices, such as Matt Haig, Swapna Haddow, and Shirley Hughes. This treasure trove of extracts is beautifully presented with illustrations from the collections of the Library as well as a few pieces of original artwork.

    Here before you lie several tales involving bone collectors, pagan witches, werewolves, skeletal bison, and cloned children. It is up to you to decipher between fact and fiction as the author has woven historical facts into his narratives. With his debut horror collection, Cheyenne & Arapaho author Shane Hawk explores themes of family, grief, loneliness, and identity through the lens of indigenous life.Early copies of this book were 104 pages.New copies of this book are 140 pages.I increased font and line spacing to give the book enough space for spine text so people can enjoy it on their shelves.Pages aren't important, though, what matters is word count:This work has 21k~ words.

    With power and precision, humanity and insight, Supporting Cast captures the extraordinary moments in our ordinary lives, and the darkness and the joy of the everyday.

    Instead, I became the villain.They curse me, call me ruthless, insane, unhinged… a monster.But is life so black and white?What if they took the time to understand my motivations? Would they still condemn me if they recognized the same monster lurking inside themselves? There’s a villain inside us all. Unhinge yourself from reality and walk with me into the darkness.If you dare…From the Shadows is an anthology of twenty-one villainous stories brought to you by the authors of Indie Fantasy Addicts.

    These twelve tales of selkies, hockey players, retired systems engineers, monsters, copyeditors and changelings are connected by a thread of optimism, and of hope: that we, too, will ride out this storm. This anthology features contributions by Aliette de Bodard, Stephanie Burgis, Iona Datt Sharma, Jeannelle M. Ferreira, Rebecca Fraimow, Marissa Lingen, Freya Marske, Lizbeth Myles, Katie Rathfelder, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Llinos Cathryn Thomas. All proceeds will be donated to the COVID-19 appeal being run by the UCLH Charity, the charity supporting the University College London Hospitals NHS Trust.

    They explore and merge public and private history through lyric meditations that use research, association, and metaphor to examine subjects as diverse as neon signs, scalping, heartbreak, and seizures. The winner of the 2019 Permafrost Prize in nonfiction, Shena McAuliffe expands the creative possibilities of form.

    Here there be monsters! And witches! These are tales of monstrous mothers and dark desires. Love, grief, death; and the exquisite pain and joy of life. With transcendent prose, Chronister chronicles the lives of powerful women and children; wicked witches and demons. These are the traumatic ghosts we all carry, and Chronister knows what it means to be human and humane. Powerful and hypnotic, these are tales you won’t forget, from a vibrant new voice.

    There’s also the arduous endeavor of a nameless boy to prove his existence, and a young girl’s tortured wait for her partner’s return home. The daughter of a scientist uncovers why exactly the ocean waves, while a defunct human does penance for calculated murder. The collection then ends off with a rework of the author's first ever published short which first appeared in literary magazine, Catch The Moment: a tale of how an invalid flees when his home is sieged, dragging along with him the village leader and her trusted advisor.Fragments is Jachrys' first self-published collection of short stories. His other works have appeared in numerous literary publications, of which include A Philosopher's Stone; Humanity Dawns; Catch The Moment; The Writing Cooperative; The Ascent; The Bad Influence; Storymaker; and Literally Literary.

    Here, ordinary people negotiate tentative paths through wildfire, mass shootings, bureaucratic incompetence, and heedless government policies with vicious impacts on the innocent and helpless. A nurse volunteers to serve in catastrophe-stricken Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and discovers that her skill and compassion are useless in the face of stubborn governmental inertia. An Environmental Protection Agency employee, whose agricultural-worker parents died after long exposure to a deadly pesticide, finds herself forced to find justifications for reversing regulations that had earlier banned the chemical. A Department of Education employee in a dystopic future America visits a highly praised charter school and discovers the horrific consequences of academic failure. A transgender trainer of beauty pageant contestants takes on a beautiful Latina for the Miss USA pageant and brings her to perfection and the brink of victory, only to discover that she has a fatal secret. The characters in these stories grapple with the consequences of frightening attitudes and policies pervasive in the United States today. The stories explore not only our distressing human capacity for moral numbness in the face of evil, but also reveal our surprising stores of compassion and forgiveness. These brilliantly conceived and beautifully written stories are troubling yet irresistible mirrors of our time.

    All new stories from the world of the Cartoon Network  Emmy Award-nominated series Steven Universe, featuring all your favorite characters including Steven, The Crystal Gems and more!FOREVER FRIENDSHIPS …ACTIVATE! It’s never a dull day for Steven and The Crystal Gems in this collection of all new adventures! Peridot looks to Steven and Greg for help in learning about the power of music; Vidalia and Onion try to cheer up Steven; Cat Steven needs Connie to help Steven learn to be a better owner; and Pearl helps Steven try to find the perfect birthday surprise for Connie! Writer Grace Kraft and artist Rii Abrego (Adventure Time™) present all new stories from the world of the Cartoon Network Emmy® Award-nominated series featuring all your favorite characters! Collects Steven Universe™ #21-24.

    and we look to rockets blasting off into the sky and think that there lies the future; that's hope.Contents 2019: An Introduction - Donna Scott The Anxiety Gene - Rhiannon Grist The Land of Grunts and Squeaks - Chris Beckett For Your Own Good - Ian Whates Neom - Lavie Tidhar Once You Start - Mike Morgan For the Wicked, Only Weeds Will Grow - G. V. Anderson Fat Man in the Bardo - Ken MacLeod Cyberstar - Val Nolan The Little People - Una McCormack The Loimaa Protocol - Robert Bagnall The Adaptation Point - Kate Macdonald The Final Ascent - Ian Creasey A Lady of Ganymede, a Sparrow of Io - Dafydd McKimm Snapshots - Leo X. Robertson Witch of the Weave - Henry Szabranski Parasite Art - David Tallerman Galena - Liam Hogan Ab Initio - Susan Boulton Ghosts - Emma Levin Concerning the Deprivation of Sleep - Tim Major Every Little Star - Fiona Moore The Minus-Four Sequence - Andrew Wallace About the Authors

    This collection includes a selection of his science fiction and fantasy stories from the last five years — sixteen of his best — plus a new novelette.In addition to these seventeen selections, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories also features an excerpt from the forthcoming book three in the Dandelion Dynasty series, "The Veiled Throne".Contents:- Ghost Days (2013)- Maxwell's Demon (2012)- The Reborn (2014)- Thoughts and Prayers (2019)- Byzantine Empathy (2018)- The Gods Will Not Be Chained (2014)- Staying Behind (2011)- Real Artists (2011)- The Gods Will Not Be Slain (2014)- Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer (2011)- The Gods Have Not Died in Vain (2015)- Memories of My Mother (2012)- Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit - Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts (2016)- Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard (2020)- A Chase Beyond the Storms: An excerpt from "The Veiled Throne", Book 3 of the Dandelion Dynasty- The Hidden Girl (2017)- Seven Birthdays (2016)- The Message (2012)- Cutting (2012)

    Derrick D. Barnes, winner of the 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for outstanding new writer, is a star in the YA and children’s literary world. His picture book, Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, won four honors at the 2018 American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor. Now comes his first nonfiction book (and the first in a sports series), where he shines a spotlight on 45 fascinating baseball records, personalities, and anecdotes rarely mentioned in popular baseball lore. Like John “Bud” Fowler, William Edward White, Moses Fleetwood Walker, and Weldy Walker—four African Americans who integrated white teams decades before Jackie Robinson. Or Jackie Mitchell, the 17-year-old girl who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Plus inglorious records, including the longest pro game ever played (8 hours and 25 minutes) and Hughie Jennings, known for being hit by the most pitches in a season (51). With its lively full-color illustrations, this is a fantastic gift for any kid who loves baseball.

    . . Love All Year is an anthology of holiday romances from religions, ethnicities, and cultures around the world. It includes romances set during Sukkot, Yule, Purim, Juneteenth, Eid-al-Adha, Qixi, and Rosh Hashanah.

    Zango is both a setting and spectre for 'Dreams and Assorted Nightmares', a collection of interconnecting short stories which explore the spaces between life and death and beyond.

    Erstwhile Bangalore is now rebranded, ruled by the insidious Bell Corporation.Welcome to Apex City. Here, technology is the key to survival, productivity is power, and the self must be engineered for the only noble goal in life: success.With the right image, values and opinions, you can ascend to the ranks of the Virtual elite and have the new world at your feet. The price of failure is deportation: you are marked an Analog, with no access to electricity, running water or your humanity.Lavanya Lakshminarayan’s extraordinary debut sinks its teeth into this dystopian future, offering a glimpse into a world we may be dangerously close to inheriting. Brilliant, searing and imaginative, the stories in Analog/Virtual will make us question our choices and rethink who we want to be.'This is fiction playing for the highest stakes - and winning'Chandrahas Choudhury, author of Clouds'Masterful work...in the best tradition of dystopian fiction'S.B. Divya, author of Nebula Award finalist Runtime

    

    Who Doesn't Love A Bad Boy?USA Today Bestselling author, Lexy Timms, brings you 6 Romantic Suspense stories with bady boys and all the steam to get your heart racing!I THINK EVERY GIRL'S DREAM IS TO FIND A BAD BOY AT THE RIGHT TIME, WHEN HE WANTS TO NOT BE BAD ANYMORE.EVERYONE LOVES A BADBOY has something for everyone: Mafia Romance, Billionaire Romance, MC Biker Romance, Bad Boy Romance, Tattooist and ink, and so much more!This first-in-a-series anthology has the first book in each series - some with cliff hangers, some with HEAs.6 Books in one anthology!The Books Included In This Collection:Savage - Book 1 Darkest Night SeriesOne You Can't Forget - Book 1 Hades' Spawn SeriesPayment for Sin - Book 1 Sin SeriesFacade - Book 1 Billionaire in Disguise SeriesAbout Love - Book 1 Just About SeriesConfession of a Tattooist - Book 1 Tattooist Series

    You can expect blood. You can expect gore. You can expect the strange, the macabre, and more. 'Horrific Holidays' features six stories that cover New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A second volume is in the planning stages.*This collection was originally self-published in February of 2020. About nine months later, it was then reissued with new edits, several altered endings, and a brand new novelette ("House of Eggs"). Reviews prior to that time frame cover the original release.

    Contents* Introduction by Ken Liu* Six Views of a Spring Festival* The Psychology Game* Up in the Air* Meeting Anna* On Miluo River* A Time Beyond Your Reach* Tick-Tock* Eternal Summer Dream* Heat Island* Duet of Love* Light of Their Days* All You Need is Love* Night Journey of the Dragon-Horse* Tongtong's Summer

    Step inside and experience tales of bloodsucking entities in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Cuban river goddesses, an Aztec bruja, werewolves, soul-stealers, obsessive lovers, furious spurned wives, bloody murder in Gothic manors and on Southern plantations... and so much more...With Foreword by Brandon Scott (Author of Vodou and Sleight, Devil Dog Press)

    Meet Anthony in 1950s and 1960s Brooklyn, then journey with a host of other delightful, contemporary characters portrayed in twenty-six tales set in New York, Texas, Brazil, Greece, Ireland, the Middle East, and Italy that will tickle your wanderlust.

    They are means through which award-winning journalist Olukorede S. Yishau examines the nature of man and his ability to make choices and live with the repercussions. The complex, beautifully drawn characters unveil the many grotesques of human life and shed light on their dark recesses exposing their weaknesses.Heartrending, luminous, and indelible, this is an astoundingly audacious collection of short stories. “There is a story here for everyone...secrets, regrets, betrayals and many ingredients of human existence...pieced together in simple prose.”— Nze Sylva Ifedigbo, author, My Mind Is No Longer Here“Olukorede Yishau 's Vaults of Secrets is a pleasure to read. Its characters invite you to live through their secrets with them... Brilliant stories.”— Ever Obi, author of Men Don't Die

    Now New York Times bestselling author Margaret Maron has gathered some of Deborah's shorter adventures in Tales From Colleton County. Here you'll find a dozen stories of mystery and mayhem beginning with the very first tale from Colleton County, North Carolina, and concluding with a never-before-published Deborah Knott story. From the courtroom to church, from holidays to nuptials, Judge Deborah Knott, the bootlegger's daughter, continues to entertain us.

    All things unknown and unknowable are coming to light... Strange creatures wander the dark canopies of Germany's Black Forest. A young boy harbors something both dark and divine within him. A man learns to control his dreams, only to find an ancient evil imprisoned within them. Something lurks in the shadows of a woman's house, and it wants her baby. All of these things and more in this riveting new collection of 18 terrifying cosmic and paranormal tales. Get it now and discover the terrors that lurk within.

    A malicious presence from the 1970s resurfaces in the fevered alleyways of the city; an amnesiac goddess offers brittle comfort to the spirits of murdered shop-girls; and an obscure and forgotten London writer holds the key to a thing known as the emperor worm. As bombs detonate and buildings burn down, the city's selfish inhabitants hunt the ghosts of friends, family and lovers to the urban limits of the metropolis, uncovering the dark secrets of London.Includes the Shirley Jackson Award shortlisted Judderman.

    Who are the canaries in the coal mine? When can the long-hidden voice no longer be ignored? Anti-fascist rebellion can take many forms. A transgender woman living on an artificial satellite learns to reject oppression via poetry. A machine ethicist finds a way to dance with her gods in a surveillance state. An unlikely golem hears a new call to action. A jailed musician rediscovers the music of rebellion.Will you recognize fascism and join the rebellion

    Perhaps a stroll out under the trees, where things are breezier, stranger, more liable to break the rules. You may meet monsters out there, true. But that's the point. Casting its net widely, this anthology of Aotearoa-New Zealand science fiction and fantasy ranges from the satirical novels of the 19th-century utopians – one of which includes the first description of atmospheric aerobreaking in world literature – to the bleeding edge of now. Spaceships and worried sheep. Dragons and AI. The shopping mall that swallowed the Earth. The deviant, the fishy and the rum, all bioengineered for your reading pleasure.Featuring stories by some of the country’s best known writers as well as work from exciting new talent, Monsters in the Garden invites you for a walk on the wild side. We promise you'll get back safely. Unchanged? Well, that's another question.

    CONTENT"The Land of Eternal Jackfruits" by Rupsa Dey"Death Is for Those Who Die" by Jana Bianchi"To Sail the Black" by Jana Bianchi"Lost in Darkness and Distance" by Jana Bianchi"Niuniu" by Baoshu"The Murders of Jason Hartman" by Brady Nelson and Jamie Wahls"The Love Life of John Doe" by K Raghasudhan

    McDonnell's (aka Caimh McDonnell) The Stranger Times newsletter on 20 November 2020 containing short stories in the The Stranger Times world.

    These are standalone tales associated with Till Human Voices Wake Us.Contains:"Scheherezade": On the thousand and first night of Scheherezade the Storyteller’s marriage, things do not go at all as she had hoped—nor do they end as she had expected."Rook": The Prince of the Fairies is just out looking for mischief. That's not what he finds."Inkebarrow": William Shakespeare takes a wrong turn going beyond the fields he knows—and in the Black Bull of Inkebarrow, he finds a turn from history to magic."Blue Moon Over Pincher Creek": Tyler's an ordinary high school student in Pincher Creek, Alberta. On the last weekend before school starts, the night of a blue moon in August, he finds something strange in the back acres behind the wind farm past his father's ranch."Not Far From the Tree": The world is full of unexpected stories. For Nora, hers is intricately tied with the old apple tree next to the village green. They say Eve fell to the temptation of an apple, but for Nora and her brother Charles, the apple just might be a vehicle for grace.

    and their adorable magical pets! All proceeds from the collection will be donated to OutRight Action International, which fights for the rights of LGBTIQ people worldwide. In this enchanting collection, a flying cat transports love letters, a fox-dog and a pair of watercats help two lonely women launch a post-apocalyptic cat cafe, a baby griffin brings unexpected love to a runaway troll woman, and much, much more!Includes all-new stories from Yoon Ha Lee, Pamela Dean, Zoe Chant, and more of your favorite authors.“Deep Spring Farm,” by Romana Clifton. Can Melanie and a friendly ghost dog help a beautiful farmer protect her lettuce from spirits that stomp in the night?“Lucky Day,” by Yoon Ha Lee. Which is harder, hiding a crush on the gorgeous woman in your role-playing game group, or hiding the unicorn figurine that just came to life?“Beach Dirt on Bare Feet,” by Louise Long. It’s hard to trust humans when you’re a selkie, especially when a beachside ice cream date could lead to so much more.“Cute as Hell,” by Caia Winter. You’d think two vampires would be a match for an adorable hellhound puppy, and yet...“Watercat Cafe,” by Rachel Manija Brown. Ruthie intends to open the first cat cafe in her post-apocalyptic world, but the mysterious, wounded stranger she rescues could doom her dream--or save it.“How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster),” by Marie Cardno. Trillin has no corporeal form, no mortal cultists ready to tear reality asunder in her name, and no girlfriend. It's tough being an eldritch entity.“Pawprints in the Snow,” by Zoe Chant. A lost cat leaves a path to love for a lonely snow leopard shifter.“As if the Sun Came to Shine,” by Damkianna. An injured baby griffin catalyzes the relationship between a lovely changeling and a troll woman in hiding.“Uncontrolled Variable,” by Sara Joiner. It's hard to investigate magical seagrass when your mischievous teleporting cat keeps becoming part of the data.“That Magic Touch,” by Hailey Thorne. Vanessa's ex-BFF wants to tear a hole in reality, and it's going to take all of Vanessa's magic--and the help of a gorgeous Demi-Fae with a sword, not to mention a telepathic dog--to stop her.“Memories of Magic,” by Elva Birch. An emergency vet gets an unexpected visit from a Christmas elf (not really) with a living plastic toy pegasus (really!) “A Dog’s Chance,” by Celia Lake. Magician Anna keeps crossing paths with the mysterious dog-walking Una while investigating a case of magical hedgehogs on Hampstead Heath.“Five Quests and the Oracle,” by Pamela Dean. A new Liavek novelette. Dri’s first acting role in a children’s play is complicated by her obstreperous cat, a pair of menacing wizards, and another first-time actress who wants to do more together than just practice their lines.“The Mating Call of the Teleporting Warbler,” by Aster Glenn Gray. A winged cat flies love letters back and forth between a professor and a naturalist studying teleporting warblers.

    Schoen explores ideas and metaphors of alien encounters, artificial intelligence, and human psychology, blending wit and charm and old-fashioned story telling (and even the occasional atrocious pun).If science fiction is the mirror we use to look at ourselves, if aliens and AIs are the allegories that let us challenge who we are, then this collection by a multiple Hugo, Nebula, and Astounding Award nominee will open your eyes to the wonder that is the human race even as it amuses and entertains.From extinct languages to projecting human consciousness into the bodies of polar bears, from bridging alien communication through art and literature to flim-flamming the creators of time machines, from the joke that created the universe to a pen that writes new worlds, Schoen spins tales that amaze and delight even as they tell us about who we are at the end of the day.

    Here are promises, anticipations, titillations, regrets. —Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture, The Literary HubIn What Are the Chances? Robert Scotellaro offers us spelunkers and pot-smoking nuns and birthday party clowns—and much, much more. In a heartbeat, we spiral into lives both ordinary yet on the edge of change and danger, and over the course of just a few pages, he lays bare damaged hearts and offers connections as tenuous as they are tender. His characters are flawed, yes, but they keep trying, reaching out for reconciliation and understanding, winning us over as they stumble toward a kind of imperfect grace. These stories might be small, but they pack a heavyweight’s punch. Scotellaro is truly a master of the flash fiction form. —Curtis Smith, author of The Magpie’s ReturnRobert Scotellaro has given us a gift with this collection of taut, stunning prose. Each piece is a marvel. The characters, and the situations they find themselves in, are thrilling, unique and immensely entertaining. In seconds he can get your pulse throbbing, or put your anxiety at ease. Scotellaro displays a mastery of the short form. —Len Kuntz, author of I’m Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are YouEach time I have the pleasure of reading a collection by Robert Scotellaro, I marvel at his ability to create so many unique and diverse miniature worlds. In What Are the Chances? he holds up multiple fun house mirrors, which continually reflect the sometimes distorted but very real lives of his characters as they navigate small, charged spaces. Scotellaro artfully magnifies detailed moments, assigning them huge import, and does so in his own miraculous way. —Tara Lynn Masih, Founding Series Editor of The Best Small Fictions and author of My Real Name Is HannaIn What are the Chances? Robert Scotellaro once again secures his place as a solid master of micro-fiction. Each story an adventure with the likes of rogue Uber drivers, breakdancing butchers, and skydiving grandmas. Each story told with the ever-present undertone of Scotellaro wisdom and charm. Each story perfectly complete while bursting out of its container to lock imaginations with the reader. And each story one you are not likely to forget any time soon. —Francine Witte, author of The Way of the Wind and Dressed All Wrong for This

    J. Box.C. J. Box , #1 New York Times best-selling author of the hugely popular Joe Pickett series, selects the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year in this annual “treat for crime-fiction fans” (Library Journal).

    Following the secrets and passions of young women, these stories and their narrators cross genres and rules to arrive at unforeseen lives. A subway rider remembers enacting the gods with her estranged twin, a concert usher discovers her tango-dancing boyfriend’s lover, and a literacy worker confesses the gambles she and others have lost through the bluesy singers she admires. Told through semi-experimental play with nonlinear plots, plural narrators, and hybrid prose, these stories embody the experiences of Asian American women carrying histories both unseen and cyclically lived.

    Rivera"Opportunity Space", by Nathan HillstromSHORT STORIES"A Summary of our Neighborhood’s Salvation After the Storm", by Jason Sanford"Skin", by Garrett Ashley"Rena in the Desert", by Lia Swope Mitchell"So Long as We Both", by Tom Purdom"Return to the Red Castle", by Ray Nayler"Tachyon Hearts Cannot Love", by Derek Künsken

    Anxiety & frustration is high and patience is low. So, I created a short sweet collection of my books that people have told me they read to cheer themselves up and break reading slumps.These short sweet stories are designed to make you swoon, fan yourself, giggle, root for our MCs and escape the world for about ninety minutes at a time.BEAR WITH MEChellie, a disgraced Instagram influencer uses a mountain retreat in an attempt to rehab her image with the help of Tanner, a grumpy lumberjack, who is more than he appears to be.BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK BOYFRIENDMeet Jordyn, a computer programmer from NYC who came to Culver City, CA for the interview of a lifetime & Mike, the cute, funny & charming guy she meets in a bookstore.RESOLUTIONSWhen Jane set out to finish her list of New Year's resolutions falling in love with her best friend, Mike wasn't on the list.