Before Thorn Grantham returned to South Toms River, New Jersey, Natalya lived alone with her stash of holiday trinkets. Her life takes an interesting turn when she faces a difficult challenge: to find a stolen figurine she'd recently won from a magical creatures auction website. It should be simple, just demand it back from the pesky thief. But a set of events occurs that puts not only her life at risk, but her family's as well.

    But Bren Mac Coinnach has long refused to take just any wife. He secretly waits for the one woman that legend says will be his and his alone: his perfect other half, and each year of waiting grows longer and more difficult than the last. When a woman is placed under his protection, he makes a vow not to touch her against her own will, and he soon realizes it won't be an easy vow for him to keep, especially since her will seems made of iron. Bren hungers for her with a need stronger than he has ever felt before, but in a world filled with magic and the timeless, endless battle between good and evil, both his honor and her life are soon at stake. Faith McAlpin had never thought she was much different from anyone else… but she is, and always has been. She would soon learn just how different, and the lessons come fast and furious, until she wonders if she will lose herself entirely, especially to the fiery passion and mesmerizing gaze of the Mac Coinnach Chief. Now the struggle has only begun…

    . . BUT NOT ALWAYS WHERE YOU EXPECT IT. From New York to Los Angeles to Bucharest, fifteen never-before-published tales by some of the world’s finest fantasy and horror writers celebrate the newest incarnations of an age-old terror that strikes when the moon is full . . . the werewolf. No longer confined to the forests, these modern monsters can be found in places you frequent every day—and never before thought to fear.CARRIE VAUGHN’s popular werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is drawn into a controversy as to whether it’s fair to ban lycanthropy from professional sports. New York’s famous Plaza Hotel is the setting for ESTHER M. FRIESNER’s tale of one very grisly little girl, while Beverly Hills may never quite recover from RON GOULART’s middle-aged Hollywood screenwriter who falls prey to a most unusual problem. Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death. Plus many more biting tales from award-winning authors:HOLLY BLACK • P.D. CACEK • GREGORY FROST • TANITH LEE HOLLY PHILLIPS • MIKE RESNICK • DARRELL SCHWEITZER • LISA TUTTLE IAN WATSON • GENE WOLFE • CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO

    Severo has given her nearly everything she could want - love, amazing sex, and the honor of choosing her as his mate for life. Yet there is one thing she craves that Severo will not give her: his blood.To a vampire, a couple's great bond is formed with the bite. But Severo will be shunned by his own kind once marked by a vampire. Even as they enjoy intense passion in their marriage bed, Bella and Severo have to wonder: Can a marriage between a werewolf and a vampire work?

    Join NY Times Bestselling author Faith Hunter, USA Today Bestselling author R.J. Blain, and National Bestselling authors Diana Pharaoh Francis and Devon Monk on a wild romp where the damsels bring the distress and what can go wrong will go wrong. Venture into a thrilling spinoff tale from the world of Jane Yellowrock; join vacationing gods in what appears to be a quiet, ordinary town; visit a supernatural hotel where the bedbugs could very well eat you; and dive into the zany, deadly world of the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series. In this collection of all-new urban fantasy novellas and other stories, no job is too big or too small — if the price is right.

    Helping her on the mission are her hot mage partner, her Mischief demon minion, and a Vanity demon named Valva. The problem? She's got to figure out how to find her sister without letting her enemies know she's back in town. But when Sabina seeks out an old ally -- a vampire strip club owner named Fang -- for help, Sabina learns the hard way that Vanity demons don't know the meaning of the phrase "low profile."Word count: ~7,500

    A free holiday read by Dana Marie Bell featuring Logan and Kir from Very Much Alive.

    Tired of loving Gabriel Campbell from afar, shy lady’s maid, Grace MacNab announces her interest by showing him what she has to offer—her heart.Taken unaware, Gabriel dismisses her feelings as a temporary infatuation.Can Grace make him see the woman she is—and win his love? Or will he hold on to past perceptions and deny the passion between them.(This is a short story of 3066 words)

    Nothing will stand in his way. After learning she’s targeted by a Columbian drug mob, the former Navy SEAL will do everything in his power to protect her.His touch ignites her passion and his tender concern touches her soul. But Cindy has a deadly secret she hides from Etienne, one that not only risks losing her heart to handsome shifter, but her very life.

    These four original novellas bring to life all the romance and adventure of the Middle Ages, with the common thread of a rich medieval tapestry woven through each tale by an acclaimed master of historical romance...Includes the following stories:To Kiss in the Shadows by Lynn KurlandAn Interrupted Tapestry by Madeline HunterInto the Dreaming by Karen Marie MoningDragonswan by Sherrilyn Kenyon

    Blessed by the Goddess herself, as their two hearts beat as one. Anxious to show her off to his Pack he cannot foresee what is about to unfold. Not everyone within the Pack is happy to see his return and even less pleased that he brings back an American as Alpha She-Wolf. A Father whose jealousy eats at his soul, changing him forever and putting him on a course that will lead to devastation and heartache. A childhood friend who is capable of the worst kind of betrayal that leaves Grant with a heart wrenching dilemma. Can Grant keep his soul-mate safe? And at what cost to him, her, and the Pack? Continue the story of The Highland Wolf Clan series with this novella of Grant and Shelly’s return to Scotland.

    After an evening of cat and mouse, they end up spending one of the hottest weekends together that she’s ever experienced. He’s everything she could ever want in a man—in bed and out.Tori is a freelance undercover agent for the Paranormal Intelligence Agency. The PIA is a highly secretive government agency that does whatever it takes to accomplish its missions, including black ops. Tori has special “talents” that make her one of the most sought-after assets in the underground world of espionage.What she didn’t expect was Logan to be her next undercover assignment. He’s the owner of Savage Industries, one of the most respected private tech firms in the U.S.… And according to the PIA, he’s also one of the bad guys. The PIA reports he’s close to selling elite technology that his company has developed to a foreign faction. If he’s successful, that would prove extremely dangerous to the U.S. government as well as all governments around the world.Logan fell hard for Tori, but she’s not returning his calls. It’s as if she’s disappeared. He begins spending time again with his ex-girlfriend, Carla. He finds her somehow different than she’s ever been and he’s drawn to her in ways he hadn’t before, despite his feelings for Tori. He only knew Tori for one weekend—one incredible weekend—but he still finds it hard to forget her despite Carla.But his paranormal talents are telling him something is wrong… And he intends to find out exactly what that is.Tori feels like she’s being ripped apart. Thanks to her abilities, she’s able to take the identity of Logan’s ex-girlfriend, Carla. Tori can’t help falling for him even harder than before.He’s the enemy she has to constantly remind herself.It’s not long before her true identity is discovered. Logan feels betrayed but needs her to recover the technology that the PIA has stolen. Tori learns that things aren’t as they seem and soon she’s playing double agent and trying to recover what she’d been assigned to steal.In a game of lies, betrayal, and high stakes, Tori and Logan are forced to work together and stop what is one of the most dangerous thefts ever to happen in the U.S. At the same time they must trust each other, and trust a love that rises from the ashes.

    But his life takes on a new purpose when the sexy Harmony steps in to challenge his old-fashioned views about pack women.When he recognizes her as his fated mate, he must adapt to her independent ways or risk losing her. As they engage in a battle of wits, a menacing presence lurks just out of reach. Can the fated pair learn to work as a team in time to save the wolves they’ve sworn to protect?

    Hamilton’s bestselling novel, Kiss the Dead. You’d think I’d get used to seeing such a beautiful man and knowing he was mine, but it never grew old, as if his beauty and the fact that he was mine, and I was his, would forever surprise me. With a vampire like Jean Claude around, it’s far too easy for Anita Blake to doubt her own appearance—and the hold it has on those who love her. But one hot tub and two incredibly sexy men—Jean Claude and Asher—will make her feel like the most lusted-after woman alive…or undead. Not bad for a mere human… “Hamilton remains one of the most inventive and exciting writers in the paranormal field.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Includes an excerpt of Kiss the Dead, the new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel

    The story is available for free on Karen Chance's website.