Five macabre masterpieces, lovingly crafted from the darkest depths of your nightmares.This collection includes:Walking - A camping trip in the wilderness leads to bloodshed when an inexperienced outdoorsman trespasses on forbidden ground…The Bridge - A cancer patient’s recovery takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that cheating death comes with a hidden cost…Squatting - A homeless man seeking shelter from the cold discovers that some abandoned houses hold deadly ties to the past…Maker’s Hill - A curious ghost hunter unearths a town’s dark history of violence, and learns that some secrets are meant to stay buried…The First Bad Thing - The murder of a child’s furry friend sends him on a hunt for a vicious supernatural predator that only he can stop…There’s no end to the terror found within these tales of dread. But whatever you do, try not to scream too loud.You never know who might be listening in the dark…

    99 words. 100% horror!

    The tasks assigned a bookish boy lead him to fateful encounters with lizards, owls, trolls and a feisty, sarcastic cat. A bear wedding is cause for celebration, the spinning wheel and the tower in the briar hedge get to tell their own stories, and a kitchenmaid finds out that a lost princess is more than she seems. The sea witch reveals what she hoped to gain when she took the mermaid’s voice. A wiser Snow White sets out to craft herself a new tale. In these eight stories and twenty-three poems, World Fantasy Award winner Theodora Goss retells and recasts fairy tales by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Oscar Wilde. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes hilarious, always lyrical, the works gathered in SNOW WHITE LEARNS WITCHCRAFT re-center and empower the women at the heart of these timeless narratives.

    . . nothing was as it seemed!What if Sleeping Beauty were actually a frog princess, doomed to be Weeping Beauty forever? What if the Three Chickens had to outwit Goldifox? What if Cinder-Elephant lost her glass plate slipper? Then you'd have this hilarious collection of twisted fairy tales from the master of the absurd, Gregory Maguire!

    Traveling to Arabia as an ambassador from the exiled Fables community, Snow White is captured by the local sultan who wants to marry her (and then kill her). But clever Snow attempts to charm the sultan instead by playing Scheherazade, telling him fantastic stories for a total of 1001 nights, saving her very skin in the process.Running the gamut from unexpected horror to dark intrigue to mercurial coming-of-age, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall reveals the secret histories of familiar Fables characters through a series of compelling and visually illustrative tales. Writer Bill Willingham is joined by an impressive array of artists from comic book industry legends to the amazing young painters of the next wave. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is both a welcome entry point to the critically acclaimed series and an essential part of Willingham's enchanting and imaginative Fables mythos.

     WEST OF THE MOON by Annie Bellet When her twin brother sacrifices his freedom to save their starving family, Lina embarks on a quest through a magical forest to save him and restore their fortunes. A BELL IN THE NIGHT by Evelyn Snow For Stevie Silver, waking the beautiful boy in the glass box is only the beginning, as her mysterious past catches up with her. MISTRESS BOOTSI by Anthea Sharp A girl sets out to seek her fortune - and luckily, she has a clever cat for a companion… WHITE ROSE by Phaedra Weldon Jack Frost must find his true love and save her from the Snow Queen’s icy shards before he loses her - and his chance at humanity - forever. THE GOBLIN AND THE TREASURE by Alethea Kontis Out-of-work soldier Kira Kobold is handpicked by the High Wizard Zelwynn to go on a quest. Her companions? A growly ogress, a surly dwarf, a dimwitted troll, and an overly optimistic goblin. This wasn’t exactly the quest she was looking for… THE RUINS OF OZ by Alexia Purdy The Land of Oz was the last place Thea thought she’d find herself after falling through her mother’s enchanted mirror. If the stories she’s been told are real, why is the Emerald City in ruins? A TOUCH OF GOLD by Rachel Morgan When Tilly helps two strangers escape from danger, she becomes part of their quest to keep a powerful magical ability out of the wrong hands ... MAGIC AND MACHINERY by Jamie Ferguson Maude works with machinery, not magic. Can she find a way to escape the magician’s grasp and free her beloved brother? BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN by Nikki Jefford In a brave new world, three wizards journey through wild shifter territories to find somewhere to begin anew. BANE AND BALM by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson When the stream providing healing water to Claire’s sick aunt dries up, she must venture into the dreaded Dorcha Forest, where she discovers a stranger willing to risk his freedom in order to help her on her quest. CAT WHITE by Kay McSpadden He thought he was following the music, but a white cat led him to realize life held more adventure than he’d guessed. KING ARTHUR AND THE CHALICE OF LIFE by Julia Crane Camelot may be at peace, but betrayal and death lurk within the mists surrounding it. FEAR OF FALLING by Shawntelle Madison Cast from her griffin’s nest, Ireti is forced into the cruel world of the ground-walkers below. Before she can fly, Ireti must find the strength to walk, and the key to acceptance lies in an undiscovered place—between two worlds. THE MERROW’S GOLDEN RING by Sara C. Roethle Ailios was taught to never believe a promise from one of the Faie, but that doesn’t stop her from doing it anyway. TAKE MY MONSTERS by C. Gockel In the wilds of the barbarian north, Roman slave Margusa meets a warrior enchanted and enslaved by an Elf Queen. To set him free, Margusa must first confront the monsters within herself...

    . . .So begins this dark, unusual retelling of the story of Snow White by the writer reviewers have called “the Angela Carter of the fantasy field”—a whole novel based on a beloved story, turning it into a dark and sensual drama full of myth and magic.Arpazia is the aging queen who paces the halls of a warlord’s palace. Cold as winter, she has only one passion—for the mysterious hunter who courts the outlawed old gods of the woodland. Coira is the princess raised in the shadow of her mother’s hatred. Avoided by both her parents and half forgotten by her father’s court, she grows into womanhood alone . . . until the mirror speaks, and blood is spilled, and the forest claims her.The tragic myth of the goddess Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, stolen by the king of the underworld, is woven together with the tale of Snow White to create a powerful story of mothers and daughters and the blood that binds them together, for good or ill. Black queen. White maid. Royal huntsman. Seven little folk who live in the forest. Come inside, sit by the fire, and listen to this fairy tale as you’ve never heard it told before. Once upon a time there was a mirror, and a girl as white as snow. . . .

    But there’s no arguing with the strange, scarred host of a hidden valley who’s taken her brother captive. Without the resources to mount a rescue, Elissa desperately settles for the next best thing: exchanging her freedom for her brother.But the longer she stays in the valley, the more Elissa realizes it isn’t just her prison. It holds secrets that her host jealously guards. Secrets that could hold the key to her escape. Except maybe the curse isn’t a curse at all. And maybe secrets are the only thing keeping her alive. A Beauty and the Beast retelling, Rose of the Oath weaves the timeless elements of roses and captors and beauties with deeper shades of betrayal, sorrow, and sacrifice.The first novella in the Legends of Light series, this short novel is a stand-alone story and contains a handful of allegorical themes.

    Subtle horror unexpected is many times more chilling and terrifying than horror that smacks you in the face.

    No sign remains of any other structure around them, no ruins of long forgotten buildings. They look... wrong. They feel wrong. Bad things happen if you get too close. Horrible things.You must never, ever ever talk about them.Thirty-four of today's best up and coming writers provide wonderfully unique interpretations inspired by the urban legends of the Internet age. Tales range from science fiction to fantasy, horror to mystery, and one writer even penned a romance!But you must never tell anyone about the stairs!Containing the stories:* Nothing Ever Happens Here by Richard Paolinelli* Star Thistle by J. Comer* Let Him In by Josh Dygert* A New Trail Off Of Old King?s Highway by Michael Reyes* The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate by Kristen Brand* Exclusive Scoop by J. Trevor Robinson* The Flash-Back Stairs: A Story of Betrayal by Patrick T. Luce* The Peacock House by Matthew Pegg* Where The Wood Thrush Sings by NB Williams* The Refuge by Dawn Witzke* Upon The Stair by Daniel Humphreys* Grand Staircase to the Yellow Court by R.C. Mulhare* Another Dead Man?s Curve by Chris Ingram* Game Warden by Russell Newquist* Stepping Stones by Jarrett Mazza* Reap Dance by James G. Hancock* Descending Stairs, 1699 by Meghan Casey* Where Angels Fear to Tread by Michelle Mellon* Sobek's Staircase by Jeremy Megargee* The Curses We Carry by Russell Mahon* Stranger?s Wood by J.S. Arroyo* Stairway Back to Jonathan's Farm by Dan Allen* The Thirteenth Step by MJ Mars* Cajun Ray by S.D. McPhail* W/M by Isobel Horsburgh* The Sentinel by Richard W. Watts* Sleep, Child by A.G. Lopes* The Lost Ones by Karen Thrower* Ready For Seven More by Christopher Lansdown* Fire and Pine by Bethany C. Gotschall* Stairway to? Where? by William Lehman* The Dead Always by Darren Todd* Missing Persons by Jonathan Bronico* Cedar Road by Mocha Pennington

    Before Midnight revisits Cinderella's story in France, Golden puts a new spin on Rapunzel's romance, and Wild Orchid reimagines the Chinese tale of Mulan. With so much real-life drama in today's busy world, Once allows readers to escape into whimsical realms where every story has a happily ever after.

    These stories feature clockwork hearts, lascivious queens, paper men, island circuses, and a flooded world.• On the island of Skye, an antlered girl and a tiger-tailed boy resolve never to be friends – but can they resist their unique connection?• In an alternative 19th-century Paris, a love triangle emerges between a man, a woman, and a coin-operated boy.• A teenager deals with his sister’s death by escaping from their tiny Scottish island – but will she let him leave?• In 1920s New Orleans, a young girl comes of age in her mother’s brothel.Some of these stories are radical retellings of classic tales, some are modern-day fables, but all explore substitutions for love.

    He's never tolerated bullies, but this time it's personal. And no matter how many heads he has to bash to do it, Joe will find his man.Includes a sneak preview of Blood and Ashes, the exhilarating fifth novel in the Joe Hunter series.

    Oh, and she’s a boy. When a name from her past suddenly surfaces, Jane knows that she is the only one that could solve the case. With the detectives unavailable and a tearfully desperate client, there is no choice but to pretend she knows what she is doing and answer the cry for help, but is she really dressed for fighting vampires? Her client has a time-sensitive problem – she was bitten by a vampire last night and swears she can feel her canines growing. With no time to lose and a boyfriend at home making dinner, Jane begins a race against time to save the client and stop the transformation, but does the client even know what she wants? Cross-dressing isn’t always glamorous. This book is part is a long-running series that follows the cases undertaken by the Blue Moon Investigation agency. The stories do not contain cussing or graphic descriptions of sex or violence but do allude to both. There is nothing R rated but I would not let my nine-year-old niece read them.

    Big secrets. Welcome to Sweet Ridge.The Cooper brothers receive the shock of their lives when their deceased father, owner of the lucrative Guac Ole company, wills away their inheritances to three random women, leaving them each only a mysterious object and a riddle to solve. You don't want to miss a sexy minute of their search for answers--and love.Sweet Texas Kiss: Gavin Cooper can't wrap his mind around why country music superstar Macy Young would end up inheriting his family home. Seeing his childhood memories handed over to his high school rival--the first woman to break his heart--stings, especially when Gavin is left only a pair of old reading glasses. Luckily, Macy can't sell the house for one year--plenty of time for him to find a way to get it back. Can a country star and a country veterinarian find a way to bury their animosity and rediscover their first love in the process?Sweet Texas Fire: Gage Cooper has always wanted the family cabin. Instead, his business nemesis, environmental analyst Charlotte Wilkinson, inherits this valuable property with its oil-rich land and its secrets, and Gage pockets a useless key. He'll do anything to reverse this fortune, including eloping to Vegas for a sham marriage. But as they discover common ground and a surprising chemistry together, suddenly Gage must decide what's worth more: the land he's always coveted or a future with Charlotte.Sweet Texas Charm: Becca Nash has no idea why kind, old Jack Cooper left her half of his company since she never had more than a few polite conversations with the guy. Neither does Grayson Cooper, Guac Ole's CEO, who is seething over the strawberry-shaped charm his dad willed him. He goes undercover boss to find out how he can steal back those shares, but surprisingly loses his heart to Becca instead. What he does discover is a secret that could blow apart not only Becca's world but his whole family. Now Grayson must determine whether it's better to follow his head or his heart.Sensuality Level: Sensual