These days, women are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be).In this all-new anthology, Kerrie L. Hughes and New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine have collected original stories from thirteen of today’s most exciting urban fantasy and paranormal authors. Each story features a strong heroine who kicks butt and takes names in a dangerous world and makes that world a better place for everyone in it—except the bad guys, of course. And if she finds a bit of romance along the way, well, a little heat warms the heart and sharpens the mind…just as long as the man can keep up. Includes: Shiny by Rachel CaineIn Venito Veras by Karen ChanceHunt by Rachel VincentMonsters by Lilith SaintcrowVampires Prefer Blondes by P.N. ElrodNine-Tenths of the Law by Jenna BlackDouble Dead by Cheyenne McCrayA Rose by Any Other Name Would Still be Red by Elizabeth A. VaughnSuperman by Jeanne C. SteinMonster Mash by Carole Nelson DouglasWanted: Dead or Alive by L.A. BanksMist by Susan KrinardBeyond the Pale by Nancy Holden

    The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous; they just like to talk...a lot.The undead are another matter.Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire-and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay...

    When the FBI contacts him about leading a team of hand-selected Others on a mission to reclaim the stolen antidote, Knox accepts. His new assignment places him in direct contact with Special Agent Felicia Locke, the beautiful human he’s craved since their very first meeting.

    The trick to staying alive is having friends in all the wrong places. With a vampire, a werewolf, and a witch on the payroll, Zoey takes the sorts of jobs no one else can perform—tracking down ancient artifacts filled with unthinkable magic power, while trying to stay one step ahead of monsters, demons, angels, and a Vampire Council with her in their crosshairs. If only her love life could be as simple. Zoey and Daniel Donovan were childhood sweethearts until a violent car crash took his life. When Daniel returned from the grave as a vampire, his only interest in Zoey was in keeping her safely apart from the secrets of his dark world. Five years later, Zoey encounters Devinshea Quinn, an earthbound Faery prince who sweeps her off her feet. He could show her everything the supernatural world has to offer, but Daniel is still in her heart. As their adventures in acquisition continue, Zoey will have to find a way to bring together the two men she loves or else none of them may survive the forces that have aligned against her. Bundle contains: Steal the Light Steal the Day “Author Lexi Blake has created a supernatural world filled with surprises and a book that I couldn’t put down once I started reading it.” ~Maven, The Talent Cave Reviews “I truly love that Lexi took vampires and made them her own.” ~KC Lu, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

    A wanderer, he keeps his life simple and carefree until an unexpected encounter brings him face to face with his tragic past and the woman he always adored. Determined to get her out of his blood, he teases her into an easy one-night stand…but one taste will never be enough. Adopted as a young girl, Alexis Huston lived on the fringe of pack life. She’s never been strong enough, fast enough, or pretty enough—except to Mason, but then he left her. Allowed her freedom as an adult and sworn to keep the pack’s secrets, she’s struggled to fit into the ‘human’ world. A chance meeting turns her hard-won life upside down.She is left with two options—she can tell the only wolf she’s ever loved that she’s carrying their child…or she can protect him, keep the baby a secret, and run. Caged WolfTriplets, the Buckley brothers were inseparable until everything went wrong one violent, bloody night. A.J. Buckley, the eldest of the trio, faced a human trial for a brutal murder. Found guilty, he was sentenced to twenty-five to life. Without argument or regret, he accepted the sentence. After six years in prison, A.J.’s conviction is overturned on a technicality and he returns to Willow Bend to face a new Alpha and fresh charges. Vivian Knox was the only witness to the murder. She refused to testify in the human courtroom and spent a year in prison on contempt charges. Once released, she worked tirelessly to free A.J., finally locating a loophole in the case against him. Satisfied with his freedom, the last thing she expected was to be kidnapped to the back of beyond where another judge demands she testify to what she saw that night. This time, contempt is the least of her problems.Only four people know exactly what happened that night and none are talking. When pack law threatens Vivian, A.J. must stake his claim, but his wolf might be too damaged to help him….Wolf ClaimGillian Whitford, darling of Willow Bend, brings out the protective instincts in all the dominants, but none more so than Owen Chase, the pack’s Hunter. A loner by nature and calling, Owen spends less time with his pack mates and more time on the borders of their land. Not even the change in the Alpha and the swearing of a new oath kept him around long.Winds of change still drift through Willow Bend as they adjust to their new Alpha. When the Hudson River pack requests a fill-in healer to replace their own, Gillian, journeymen apprentice to their Pack healer, is the obvious choice to help. Owen forbids her to accept, but the sweet natured wolf rebukes his selfishness and volunteers anyway.Risking a challenge, Owen faces off against his Alpha to appeal her decision and finds himself charged with her safety. Now, the loner will be escorting one of his pack’s most precious into foreign lands. He’s all that stands between her and a dozen potential threats…and if he doesn’t stake his claim, he may lose more than his heart.

    Previously published in the print anthology Unbound.A nightwalker is slain, and suspicion falls on Mira—Fire Starter—the last hope of her immortal race, in Jocelynn Drake's The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten.

     Beyond The Veil, #1 Devil May Care, #2 Darkest Before Dawn, #3Beyond The Veil Charlie Henderson is living a lie. Her real name is Muse and her attempt at a normal life is about to go up in smoke. When a half-demon assassin walks into her life, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, Muse must return to the one man she hoped never to see again and ask for help. The Prince of Greed isn’t known for his charity. The price is high, and the cost could tear her apart. Trapped between the malevolent intentions of a Prince of Hell and an assassin with ulterior motives, Muse must embrace the lure of chaos at her core; the demon inside her, in order to survive. Devil May Care Three dead Enforcers in three weeks, their bodies butchered. Muse has seen it before, and when she reads the metal memories in the murder weapon, she sees it all again. Her owner, Damien, is back, and he wants what is rightfully his. Darkest Before Dawn When Akil leaves a nine year old half-blood girl on Muse’s doorstep, it’s not long before the demons come hunting, but this time Muse isn’t the target. The Institute, Muse’s immortal brother, and the Princes of Hell, all want a piece of the little half-blood. What’s so special about Dawn, and why has Akil conveniently disappeared just as Muse needs answers?

    Kressley and R. Hamilton: Women who look a lot like Charisse are going missing. And the man this beauty is falling for may be the beast responsible.The Forever Girl by R. Hamilton: Sophia gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust a shapeshifter.Summoned by Rainy K.: Dimitri can't reveal the paranormal bond controlling him, and Syd won't tolerate his secrets.Purgatory by S. Stec: A sex-hungry myth with no name, no flesh, and no identity ...unless it wears one of you.The Pandora Principle by N. Cosper: As a descendant of Pandora, Cassi must discover if her lover is one of the evil spirits she hunts before all her friends die.Heart Song by S. LaFantasie: When incredibly handsome Marren frees Relena, there's a catch.Changeling by D. Herbert: As a changeling and a witch work together to restore order in Fairy, they discover that love, like magic, casts its own spell.Shiftless by A. Easterling: After years of suppressing her inner predator, Terra meets a shifter who forces her to reclaim her wilder side.The Black Parade by Kyoko M: Poltergeist Michael is the key to saving Jordan's soul from hell, but can she handle the cost of her salvation?Haunting Echoes by C. Faron: Will Amaia's clan kill her ex-fiancé before she learns whether he returned from the grave for love or revenge?Braving Fate by L. Hall: Diana and Cadan fight demonic forces and a deadly passion that has lasted centuries.Trinity Rising by J.E. Taylor: Damian and Naomi are desperate for victory against the devil, but one wrong step could trigger Armageddon.Moonlight by K. Salidas: Good girls don't wear fur, fight over men, or run around naked, howling at the moon. But Fallon's not a good girl.Lash by L.G. Castillo: Lash must choose where to place his trust--in a home he fought so hard to regain or in a forbidden love he can't bear to lose.Between by L. Swallow: Alek could kill Rose with a kiss. Finn, with a touch. Pulled into an intense affair with Alek, Rose discovers her connection to Finn threatens them all.The Devil's Fool by R. McClellan: When vampire Boaz gives Eve the one thing she never had--love--she falls into a world of greed and seduction.Spark Rising by K. Corcino: A runaway Spark and the agent arresting her ignite a revolution to end their people's enslavement while resisting the electricity between them.Ruby's Fire by C. Stine: On the run from a desert cult, Ruby must choose which handsome stranger to trust with her heart and her darkest secret.Cursed by L. Leroux: Isobel has been hiding an uncanny ability her whole life--until the day she must use it to save herself from a madman.Hunted by A.J. Colby: With Agent Holbrook's help, Riley races time to stay ahead of a crazed werewolf killer.Vigilant by A. Lawson: Ari stumbles into a world of crime and vigilantism while discovering the one man that sets her heart on fire.

    All in a day's work.For Evangeline Hollis, a long ago fling with a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks just became a disaster of biblical proportions. One night with a leather-clad man of mystery has led to a divine punishment: the Mark of Cain.Thrust into a world where sinners are drafted into service to kill demons, Eve's learning curve is short. A longtime agnostic, she begrudgingly maneuvers through a celestial bureaucracy where she is a valuable but ill-treated pawn. She's also become the latest point of contention in the oldest case of sibling rivalry in history... But she'll worry about all that later. Right now she's more concerned with learning to kill while staying alive. And saving the soul she'd never believed she had.

     A QUESTIONABLE CLIENT – In this ‘intro’ to the Kate Daniels world, we meet the extremely ‘shifty’ Saiman for the very first time, when Kate takes on the task of serving as his bodyguard to protect him from some very determined—and dangerous—Russian wizards. RETRIBUTION CLAUSE – Saiman’s cousin, Adam—a frost giant and also an insurance adjuster—and his enigmatic partner, Siroun, set out on an impossible mission to enforce a client’s Retribution Clause; that is, to kill the person who killed her. But is their target even guilty? Magic and mayhem and a little personal chemistry will reveal the truth! OF SWINE AND ROSES – A young adult story about a girl, a pig, some magic, and the worst date ever. Chad Thurman is a thug, who carries brass knuckles in both pockets and lays magic traps for intruders into "his" neighborhood. The last thing Alena Kornov wants to do is to go on the date with him. But when her family pressures her, she can't say no. Now the ice-cream is absent, the pig is running for its life, and we won't even mention the dead guy... GRACE OF SMALL MAGICS – Grace has always known she wasn’t like everyone else and that her family has magic abilities. After flying to meet the head of Clan Dreoch in order to fulfill her families’ “duties” as servants, Grace finds herself in the middle of a mage clan war… MAGIC TESTS – A short story in the Kate Daniels universe. Kate recruits her teenage ward, Julie, to search out a missing student whose location spell has her hidden somewhere on campus…

    Protect the pack. And yeah, protect the pack.I have my own goal: Live a simple life and hope no one ever discovers that the quiet young woman next door turns into a wolf.All my efforts go up in flames when a vampire attack draws the attention of the Midwest Pack. The next thing I know, I’m staring down Ethan, a handsome and alluring alpha, as he demands to know what I am. Not who. What. The pack was warned that I’m not just a werewolf but a weapon—one that could be used against them.A weapon? Me? I’d love to dismiss it as a case of mistaken identity, but I’ve become the supernaturals’ Most Wanted overnight. The vampires have put a bounty on my head. A necromancer attempts to kill me in a room full of people. And a mysterious witch is watching me far too closely for comfort.The only thing standing between me and certain death is the pack, but we’re definitely not on the same page. I want to lie low, go back to my typical life, and live to fight another day, while their MO is “seek, confront, and destroy.”And depending on the answers we find, the enemy they destroy … might be me.

    And they have Carolyn in their sights. Carolyn Soucek is a witch who can see the future, all except her own. Desperate for answers she consults a seer. Her destiny awaits her in Savannah, Georgia. At least that's what the gifted psychic tells her. Darius Drummond is a vampire sworn to protect witches from the Guild. Hundreds of years, dealing with singular witches weren't enough to prepare him for Carolyn. Now that he's found his soulmate, can he save her from the pyre?

    Lillie is in Sin City looking for a fling, and grizzly shifter Jim Halcyon is pleased to oblige. Only when Lady Luck gets involved, lust and ambition clash. (Takhini Shifters #1) USA Today bestselling author Deanna Chase brings you MARKED BY TEMPTATION, a novella set in the Bourbon Street world. Mati Ballintine is a sex witch looking for a hot one-night stand to bolster her power, and sexy Vaughn Paxton is cocky enough to make her work for it. But when their one night turns into more than they bargained for, one life is changed, another threatened, and suddenly there’s a whole lot more than lust at stake. (Coven Pointe #1) Dive into a world of adult fairy tales with USA Today Bestselling author Marie Halls's Rumpel's Prize . The dark prince Rumpelstiltskin is in need of a woman to break a curse, and nothing will sway him from his end game. Not even lust-at-first sight, or a fiery mane of red hair and the most vivid blue eyes he’s ever seen. Shayera Caron has other plans as she aims to bring the sexy-as-sin devil to his knees, but in the end only one can win. (Kingdom Series #8) Award-Winning Author Crista McHugh brings you Shattered Web , another seductive tale from the Deizian Empire. Marcus is ordered to a trading post along the barrier to solve the mysterious disappearance of all its occupants. Only the clues point to Sexta, the woman he loved and lost, and despite his better judgement, he can’t keep his hands off her. Arrested and charged with a crime she didn’t commit, Sexta not only has to deny her feelings for him after every tantalizing kiss, she needs to prove her innocence before the true enemy brings the empire to its knees. USA TODAY Bestselling Author M. Malone invites you to meet TANK Marshall. He has thirty days to meet his deadbeat dad or forfeit his inheritance. His mom needs surgery and he’d do anything for her, even dance with the devil. Emma Shaw just got the job of a lifetime, coaxing a rich client’s estranged son back into the fold. One meeting for $1 million. Easy money. Until she’s lying to the only man who makes her feel safe. (Blue-Collar Billionaires #1) USA Today bestselling author SM Reine brings you Caged Wolf , a novella set in the same world as The Ascension Series. Ofelia Hawke is stripping for bikers in Lobo Norte and trying to scrape together enough money to escape. When the Fang Brothers werewolf gang appears, Ofelia finds herself irresistibly drawn to a wolf named Trouble. If they don’t end up dying for each other, Trouble might be Ofelia’s only chance to break free. (Tarot Witches #1) National Bestselling author Roxie Rivera brings you COLLATERAL, a spinoff from her scorching hot Her Russian Protector series. Mob enforcer Ben Beciraj will do anything to protect sweet, beguiling heiress Aston McNeil from the seedy underworld he inhabits–even if it means crossing the only family he’s ever known. (Debt Collection #1) Venture into the dark corners of Sector Four in Beyond Solitude , a novella by Kit Rocha. When a motorcycle accident leaves Derek Ford riding a desk at the O’Kane compound, the last thing he needs is a sexy new assistant upending his office and his life. But Mia isn’t scared of her domineering boss. The friction between them generates an undeniable heat–but Mia will not be kept, and Ford will do anything to protect what’s his. (BEYOND #4.

    Her boss Pete is a handsome werewolf - missing. Her roommate Nina is a fashionista vampire with teen nephew Vlad. Her new partner gorgeous detective Parker Hayes is not what he seems. A killer takes eyes, blood, hearts - is Sophie next?

    I'm a Nephilim. What does that mean? I'm half demon, what's my other name? Lust. I'm the dark craving that drives you mad, makes you want, makes you reckless and stupid. I'm the drug you'll do anything to get your hands on. But I'm not all bad. I fight for light, for goodness and truth. I love my job, killing vampires and werewolves, zombies, and freaks... it's what makes me happy.But people are starting to disappear and lately I've felt a dark presence lurking around me. I think it might be a death priest, that's not good. There isn't much a demon like me fears, but I fear them. This should have been easy, me killing the fanged freaks, getting rid of my pesky priest problem, but I'm about to be betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust with my life and before the night is through I'll be covered in crimson...