Kusi, Abbie Zanders, Alley Ciz, Anna Blakely, Anna Brooks, Becca Steele, Cora Kenborn, Darcy Burke, Elizabeth SaFleur, Emery Rose, Greer Bailey, Ivy Layne, J. Kenner, Jeana E. Mann, Jennifer Woodhull, Joslyn Westbrook, Kailee Samuels, Kait Nolan, Lexi C. Foss, Lisa Suzanne, Lynne St. James, Maria Luis, P.J. Fiala., Rebecca Sharp, Riley Edwards, S.E. Rose, Saffron A. Kent, Samantha Lind, Susan Stoker, Taylor Danae Colbert.

    Kind of like that shadow that seems to loom around me at all times probably means I've gone completely crazy. It would also explain how I managed to catch feelings for not one, but three different men.Alexander Despot, a big shot detective from the city, seems to be everywhere I go as of late. He says he's keeping an eye on me for my safety, but the way his eyes travel down my body says another story.Daniel Baccarin, my new boss, is treading the line between professional and personal. I wish he'd just cross it already.I thought I had made Jess Caldwell up, because I would only see him in my dreams. But a chance discovery leads me to find photos of me and him together. Except I would remember my first boyfriend, right?Author's note: Cursed by Darkness, Marked by Darkness and Consumed by Darkness are all romance books where the heroine does not have to choose between love interests. They are supposed to be read in the order just listed.Embraced by Darkness, the prequel novella, is MF and its action takes place centuries before the events in Cursed by Darkness. However, it could spoil it, so it is best read after Cursed by Darkness. The series is in the same universe as the Black Widows Academy series and A Harem of Supernatural Hunters series. There is no set reading order for these trilogies, they simply offer the bigger picture for a fictional world I have created and some characters pop up in different books, across series. Post Scriptum:The series contains gothic and horror elements. If you are very easily spooked or creeped out, do not read.If you are a fan of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, you’re in for a special treat!

    Uncover the clues with feisty female sleuths of various ages in this multi-author cozy mystery collection of short stories.• Catch a mugger in THANKSGIVING AND THEFT by Dianne Ascroft.• Dig up hidden treasure in BURIED BY THE BEACH by Ellen Jacobson• Open up a case in CLOSED OUT by Tamara Woods• Pray for justice in TREASURES IN HEAVEN by Sarah Biglow• Escape the blame in RING GONE ‘ROUND THE ROSES by Aubrey Elle.• Try on some clues in THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN RING by Beate Boeker• Search for the suspect in WHEN THE CLOCK CHIMES TWO by Adriana Licio• Catch the culprit in HIJINKS IN AJIJIC by Vikki Walton• Locate the missing loot in VENDORS AND VILLAINS by Angela K. RyanYou’ll love this collection of intriguing and light-hearted stories from award-winning and best-selling authors from across the globe.

    When I was forced to leave I took my secret with me.Now I'm back. And I'm not alone.This forbidden love affair is about to start a war.RomeoThey call me a thug. Vengeful. Fierce.And I don't give a f*ck.I'm here to make things right with Julia.The only woman I've ever wanted.And the only one I could never have.Her ruthless uncle wants to take me down.And he'll use Julia to get his way.Let the b*astard try. This time nothing comes between us - or my son.The world will finally accept our love - even if I have to bring them h*ll to take what's mine.**Top Dog is a 70,000+ word full-length standalone novel with no cheating or cliff-hangers. Additional exclusive mafia romance novel and bonus content included for your reading pleasure! - Rye Hart (USA Today Bestselling Author)**

    “If you know exactly what you are going to get from the experience of reading a story, you probably wouldn’t go looking for it; you need, in order to be an open reader of fiction, to be willing. To cast a vote for what you love and then wait for the outcome,” writes Meg Wolitzer in her introduction. The Best American Short Stories 2017 casts a vote for and celebrates all that is our country. Here you’ll find a man with a boyfriend and a girlfriend, naval officers trapped on a submarine, a contestant on America’s Funniest Home Videos, and a gay man desperate to be a father—unforgettable characters waiting for an outcome, burning with stories to tell.Maidencane / Chad B. Anderson --Are we not men? / T.C. Boyle --God's work / Kevin Canty --A small sacrifice for an enormous happiness / Jai Chakrabarti --Arcadia / Emma Cline --Hog for sorrow / Leopoldine Core --Campoamor / Patricia Engel --Richard of York gave battle in vain / Danielle Evans --Ugly / Mary Gordon --The midnight zone / Lauren Groff --The Chicane / Amy Hempel --Tally / Noy Holland --Gabe Dove / Sonya Larson --Let's go to the videotape / Fiona Maazel --Ancient Rome / Kyle McCarthy --Last day on earth / Eric Puchner --Novostroïka / Maria Reva --Telemachus / Jim Shepherd --Gender Studies / Curtis Sittenfeld --Famous actor / Jess Walter

    right?

    This is a communal effort by the Pushcart Press staff, contributing editors, and hundreds of small presses. For this edition distinguished poets Julie Sheehan and Tom Sleigh served as poetry editors. The result is an introduction to a literary world that few readers have access to, where much of today's important new writing is published, far from the commercial influence of the conglomerates. In reviewing last year's edition, Donna Seaman of Booklist commented: "A brimming, vibrant anthology-the perfect introduction to new writers and adventurous new work by established writers . . . extraordinary in its range of voices and subjects. Here is literature to have and to hold." The Pushcart Prize has been chosen for the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement recognition by the National Book Critics Circle and the Writers for Writers award from Poets Writers / Barnes Noble.

    You've never experienced a Christmas this hot, this romantic, or this star-crossed. Four fabulous stories featuring sexy wolves, fiery dragons, loyal sasquatch, and burly bear heroes you'll never forget.Including these all-new, exclusive works:Anna Lowe - Sasquatch SurpriseLily Thorn - A Present for the AlphasEmma Alysin - One Bearry NightIsadora Montrose - Dragon's Christmas CaptiveAnna Lowe - Sasquatch SurpriseAll Nala Dixon wants is to make it home to her wolf pack in time for the holidays - alive. But a simple road trip turns into a fight for survival when a gang of vampires turns up, thirsting for her blood. A damn good thing a knight in shining armor rushes to her rescue - and hot damn, it's Harrison, the sasquatch she's secretly dreamed of for years.Lily Thorn - A Present for the AlphasYuletide has come to the Ember pack. But what can Val get for two Alphas who have everything? What could be better than a Christmas baby?Emma Alysin - One Bearry NightWhen Rebekah meets her future mate by chance and falls in love, she must make the agonizing choice to leave him -- not knowing that he is the one destined for her. Daamin's pride demands Rebekah choose him over duty, but his practical side respects her strength to place family above all else. Will he sacrifice pride and claim his winter mate? Or will he let her go, and never know that their one passionate night produced a special holiday gift?Isadora Montrose - Dragon's Christmas CaptiveOne dragon lord, one pixie princess, a magical ring and 1000 years of history. Christmas was never this hot, this funny, or this star-crossed. Fate may have the last laugh unless Theo Lindorm can come to a meeting of minds with Elven Princess Lexi.Shifters guaranteed to make your holidays merry, indeed!

    Parker (Seafire), and many more. Edited by Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles).In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.AUTHORS INCLUDE: Samira Ahmed, Libba Bray, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tochi Onyebuchi, Mark Oshiro, Natalie C. Parker, Rebecca Roanhorse, Victoria Schwab, Tara Sim, Nic Stone, and a to-be-announced debut author/short-story contest winner

    The stories in Thomas Pierce’s Hall of Small Mammals take place at the confluence of the commonplace and the cosmic, the intimate and the infinite. A fossil-hunter, a comedian, a hot- air balloon pilot, parents and children, believers and nonbelievers, the people in these stories are struggling to understand the absurdity and the magnitude of what it means to exist in a family, to exist in the world. In “Shirley Temple Three,” a mother must shoulder her son’s burden—a cloned and resurrected wooly mammoth who wreaks havoc on her house, sanity, and faith. In “The Real Alan Gass,” a physicist in search of a mysterious particle called the “daisy” spends her days with her boyfriend, Walker, and her nights with the husband who only exists in the world of her dreams, Alan Gass.  Like the daisy particle itself—“forever locked in a curious state of existence and nonexistence, sliding back and forth between the two”—the stories in Thomas Pierce’s Hall of Small Mammals are exquisite, mysterious, and inextricably connected. From this enchanting primordial soup, Pierce’s voice emerges—a distinct and charming testament of the New South, melding contemporary concerns with their prehistoric roots to create a hilarious, deeply moving symphony of stories.

    The talented dancer has been sidelined by an injury and without a future and a past too painful to think about, she finds herself in a town smaller than her aspirations. But when she stepped into Black Oak, she could have never imagined she'd learn to dream bigger than ever before by loving a man larger than life.Pierce is a werebear long given up on love. With an ex that has put him off of love, the surly bluecollar mountain man has decided to focus on work and nothing else! A woman blowing into town like a fresh breath of air can change that all... and is it wrong that he can't help but enjoy every second of it?But sometimes, love can't be easy, even in a sweet little town like Black Oak. Especially if two wounded hearts are made wary by a woman scorned.Bluecollar Bear is a paranormal romance novella with a growly werebear, a sassy woman and a small town waiting for you to fall in love with it. There's no cheating and a guaranteed HEA!

    Because there’s no single definition of crazy, there’s no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things—wild? extreme? disturbed? passionate?—to different people. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day. Thirty-three writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy. If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, or know someone who has, come on in, turn the pages, and let’s get talking.

    I live alone for a reason.I've been biding my time.Waiting for a shot at revenge.It just arrived in the shape of a woman.A sexy as hell woman who's just moved in with my worst enemy.Living in the home he stole from me.He's taken everything of mine.So I'm going to take her from him.Snatch her away.Tear her clothes off.Spank the sass right out of her.Make her beg for mercy.But when I get her to my hideaway I find out the truth.I'm not the only one with secrets.Hers are in the shape of a small wooden box.So now I have to make a decision.Let her go or open the box.

    The final inning. Whatever it takes, you have to give it all you’ve got. When that clock is ticking down, remember how hard you’ve trained, how many hours you put in. Strap on your pads, wrap your hands, tie up those cleats. Whether on the field or in a rink, you’ve got this. This is your day, your time to shine. It doesn’t matter what game you play. In the end, all you have to do is Make it Count.Twenty-three authors bring you nineteen stories full of hope and love.This anthology in memory of Josie McIntyre, who was an avid softball player who was tragically lost too young. All proceeds for this anthology will go toward a scholarship fund in her memory.

    What if life was neverending? What if you could change your body to adapt to an alien ecology? What if the pope were a robot? Spanning galaxies and millennia, this must-have anthology showcases classic contributions from H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Octavia E. Butler, and Kurt Vonnegut, alongside a century of the eccentrics, rebels, and visionaries who have inspired generations of readers. Within its pages, you'll find beloved worlds of space opera, hard SF, cyberpunk, the New Wave, and more. Learn about the secret history of science fiction, from titans of literature who also wrote SF to less well-known authors from more than twenty-five countries, some never before translated into English. In The Big Book of Science Fiction, literary power couple Ann and Jeff VanderMeer transport readers from Mars to Mechanopolis, planet Earth to parts unknown. Immerse yourself in the genre that predicted electric cars, space tourism, and smartphones. Sit back, buckle up, and dial in the coordinates, as this stellar anthology has got worlds within worlds. Including: . Legendary tales from Isaac Asimov and Ursula K. Le Guin. An unearthed sci-fi story from W. E. B. Du Bois. The first publication in twenty years of the work of cybernetic visionary David R. Bunch. A rare and brilliant novella by Chinese international sensation Cixin Liu Plus: . Aliens!. Space battles!. Robots!. Technology gone wrong!. Technology gone right!"