But as the festive season draws closer, Laurel begins to wonder if Christmas on Skopelos can ever live up to the cosy Yorkshire Christmases she spent with her beloved grandmother, Marnie. And with a travel writer arriving to review the Villa, Laurel needs a touch of festive sparkle - and a little help from some old friends... With critics to impress, Greek feasts to cook, and an ABBA-themed winter wedding on the horizon, can Laurel throw the perfect Christmas for everyone? And will she find her own romance underneath the mistletoe...? Escape to Greece this Christmas for this joyous sequel to My Mamma Mia Summer.

    Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly.From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear.Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.Table of Contents:"Where Nightmares Walk""Winter's Kiss" (Fairy Tales)"Transition" (Vampires)"Love Struck" (Selchies)"Old Habits" (WL World)"Stopping Time" (WL World)"The Art of Waiting""Flesh for Comfort""The Sleeping Girl and the Summer King" (WL World-ish, the short story that started the series)"Cotton Candy Skies" (WL World)"Unexpected Family" (WL World)"Merely Mortal" (WL World)

    Did you ever wonder how the dwarves felt after Snow White ditched them for the prince? Do you sometimes wish Cinderella hadn't been so helpless and petite? Prepare to see fairy tales from a completely new angle!

    They supplement their income by selling pics of themselves as stock photos online.The abandoned Red Water Hotel is the perfect location for a shoot. But when they enter the decrepit building, Dursha begins to feel a strange presence. Jackie dismisses her concerns and they head further in.Strange moths have clustered, and the light filtering through has an eerie shimmer. The young women see a telephone number scrawled on the wall.By now Dursha is totally creeped out. But Jackie is already calling it...THE WIDOWDan decides to go to a party held by an old friend. It’s a no-good group, but it might help him put his worries aside. His life is spiralling and he has a serious toothache to add to his woes.At the party he strikes up a conversation with an enigmatic man who has excellent whiskey, and promises him a quick way to make money.In all honesty, Dan just wants enough cash to pay for a dentist, but he journeys with his new friend to a house deep in the country. The hazy plan is to rob it of a known stash of money.It sounded good in theory, but now his friend is nowhere to be seen and Dan is stuck inside the house, face to face with the widow who lives there...

    Through the ages and around the world, the Green Man and other nature spirits have appeared in stories, songs, and artwork, as well as many beloved fantasy novels, including Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Now Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, the acclaimed editors of over thirty anthologies, have gathered some of today's finest writers of magical fiction to interpret the spirits of nature in short stories and poetry. Folklorist and artist Charles Vess brings his stellar eye and brush to the decorations, and Windling provides an introduction exploring Green Man symbolism and forest myth. The Green Man is required reading, not only for fans of fantasy fiction but for those interested in mythology and the mysteries of the wilderness.

     Do you like puppets? Well, we have a marvelous one. This poor little thing was left all alone to die, only to wake up with a taste for revenge. If smiling, red-nosed clowns bore you, you’ve come to the right place. Just follow the bloody path of mutilated clowns, and it will lead you to a room filled with gruesome revelations. But that’s not all. Ready for a mind-bending experience? Wonderful! Our contortionist won’t just showcase her extreme flexibility, she’ll also shock you with her insatiable appetite. Want to know her secret? She’s cursed—but shhhhhh, don’t tell. So grab your friends and join us as we create the most bone-chilling atmosphere. Because we’re coming to your town… …and we’re bringing the Carnival of Fear.

    In this short story, myths, fables, and legends from around the world are combined to recount the adventures of Fintán mac Bóchra and Myrddin Wyllt in ancient Ireland, and tell the “true” tale of the global disaster known as the Great Flood. ...Then a sound came to them. It began as a rumbling in the deep, then boomed so forcefully even Fintán was amazed. The sound continued, unbroken, growing in intensity. Quivering ripples appeared in the waves, droplets leapt on the surface, water beaded and danced on deck. The ship vibrated so harshly people fell, teeth rattling, vision blurred. Planks loosed at the seams. On the orlop deck and in the hold, crocks of water and wine shattered and livestock bleated in terror. A primal fear gripped the people on those ships. The Beast of the Sea was well known by their forefathers, and though it had not been seen nor heard from in many generations, they suspected. Fintán knew. Cetus had awakened. Fintán’s first thought was to snatch up Cessair and carry her away, but he knew he didn’t dare. She’d never forgive him. She wouldn’t abandon her people. Not even to escape The Leviathan...

    Lose yourself in the majesty and romance of this great historical romance collection brought to you by seven top historical romance authors. This limited edition bundle includes: DEEP INTO DARKNESS by Kathryn Le Veque: Based on “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, this story involves a hunky highlander, his lovely wife, a dark and creepy castle on the Scotland coast, and chains rattling in the night…. TAKEN BY THE HIGHLANDER by Eliza Knight: A warrior on a mission falls for a lady who has sworn off love. A LOVE THROUGH TIME By Terri Brisbin: An archway in time...A man in search of his future in the past...A woman who holds the key. MY FIERCE HIGHLANDER by Vonda Sinclair: Gwyneth, a scandalous English lady banished to the Highlands of Scotland, and Alasdair, an injured enemy chief, join forces against her malicious and violent family. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, the two discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. TAMING THE WILD HIGHLANDER by Terry Spear: Edana is searching for her missing brothers and that leads Angus into a faux marriage with her, dungeons and more trouble than he ever thought possible. So why is the bewitching, fiery-haired lass making him think of marrying her for real? KILTS AND KISSES by Victoria Roberts: Her only refuge is in the arms of her enemy. HIGHLAND MOON by Gwyn Brodie: He held her life in his hands. She held his soul.

    Sexy shifters thrust into sudden fatherhood. Adorable shifter babies guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings. Fated mates and happily ever afters. Find them all in this collection of eight hot shifter romances! After being deployed to Afghanistan, I don’t think I’ll ever be right again. I can hardly keep my bear in check because of the PTSD that haunts me, and I’m ready to snap. So when I find out that my brother and sister-in-law were murdered—leaving me as the guardian of their little girl—I know I can’t handle this alone. I’m in no state to be a father. I need a nanny, stat. I knew Jessie would help soothe little Peyton’s heart. But I never expected her to capture mine. My bear knows Jessie belongs to him, but just my luck, she’s not one of us. Will our unimaginable secret send her running for good? Grab Nanny For The Soldier Bear and the following standalone shifter daddy romances in this sizzling anthology: Nanny For The Soldier Bear Holden's Mate Ranger Ramon Jackson's Nanny Werewolf Baby Daddy Daddy Soldier Bear Alpha's Secret Baby Royal Dragon Daddy WARNING: Steamy shifter scenes inside! Readers 18+.

    Never before published stories about monsters, deadly combat tech, treachery, and honor:Big Plush by Aaron Allston—The Dollgangers, artificial people made in mankind's image, take up arms in a desperate bid to win their freedom.Comrades in Arms by Kevin J. Anderson—A damaged cyborg soldier and an enemy alien fighter turn their backs on the war and try to escape. But the human and alien governments can't tolerate the two deserters working together, so they join forces to hunt them down.Shores of the Infinite by Loren L. Coleman—Separated from command & control, Combat Assault Suit troopers force a beachhead to liberate a new planet from the cyborg threat.The Black Ship by B.V. Larson—A human settlement on the deadliest planet ever colonized clings to life … but today new invaders are coming down from the stars.Out There by Michael A. Stackpole—The Qian have discovered humanity and welcomed them into their star-spanning empire. The benefits they offer humanity are many, and they don't want much in return: just the best human pilots available to take apart a most diabolical enemy.

    This volume is compiled from free works on my website, stories written for various challenges and prompts, and other straggling tales. Some of these are my spins on familiar tales, like Cinderella and Ivan and the Wolf, others are simply based on well-known types of fairytales. Stories included in this volume: True Chivalry If the Shoe Fits Deeds Great & Small Challenge of Quests The Shining Knight The Prince's Champion The King's Challenges Knight of the Rose Three Questions The Witch in the Woods Ivan the Heartless Blood in the Water The Stable Boy Three Goats The Gardner The Good Son Play Me a Song 100 Words

    Characters are enchanted, they transgress, they yearn, they hunger, they hate, and, sometimes, they kill. Some of the stories inhabit a traditional fairytale world, while others are set in the distant future. Some are set in the present and some in an alternative present. The stories offer no prescription for living or moral advice and none belong in a nursery. Open the covers and submit to their enchantment.

    Blessed by fairies at birth, Princess Elodie can speak to animals, and is now the only one who can help Bastien break the curse before his father declares war on her kingdom. With the help of their servants, Henry and Matilde, and her equally-blessed sisters, they set off on a quest to restore Bastien to his former self, but it is her feelings towards him that begin to reverse. A charming, lighthearted fairy tale retelling, full of romance and delightful witty banter.

    Acclaimed Irish author Emma Donoghue reveals heroines young and old in unexpected alliances--sometimes treacherous, sometimes erotic, but always courageous. Told with luminous voices that shimmer with sensuality and truth, these age-old characters shed their antiquated cloaks to travel a seductive new landscape, radiantly transformed. Cinderella forsakes the handsome prince and runs off with the fairy godmother; Beauty discovers the Beast behind the mask is not so very different from the face she sees in the mirror; Snow White is awakened from slumber by the bittersweet fruit of an unnamed desire. Acclaimed writer Emma Donoghue spins new tales out of old in a magical web of thirteen interconnected stories about power and transformation and choosing one's own path in the world. In these fairy tales, women young and old tell their own stories of love and hate, honor and revenge, passion and deception. Using the intricate patterns and oral rhythms of traditional fairy tales, Emma Donoghue wraps age-old characters in a dazzling new skin. 2000 List of Popular Paperbacks for YA

    More than a manifesto, The Code of Extraordinary Change cracks life wide open, taking you to a place where you're confident, capable and compelled to get out there and put a you-shaped dent in the universe.Containing a set of principles, ideas and specific actions learned from over 10 years of experience in coaching individuals on being naturally self-confident, the Code is a model for building natural confidence and creating and sustaining meaningful change.Get the Code of Extraordinary Change now and go dent the universe.