As in her acclaimed novels The Siege and A Spell of Winter, world-class storyteller Helen Dunmore shows us with subtlety and humor precisely who her characters are and why we should care for them. In each taut, agile tale, they grow to surprise, concern, and move us as they negotiate situations that are often both mundane and bizarre: a cafeteria cook confronts her Polish pen pal in a meeting that is unexpectedly intense; a divorced mother gains insight from a parking meter; a boastful writer is put in his place in spectacular fashion; and in a chilling future, conception is ruthlessly controlled by the government. In several stories a soulful, curious woman named Ulli takes up residence in the reader's imagination -- stumbling across a strangely magnetic collector of religious icons, contemplating a youthful pregnancy, and remembering a troubled lover. In Ice Cream, Dunmore reveals both her poet's ear for the concise and piercing potentialities of language and the novelist's ambition of scope, proving her status as "a master of the shorter form" (The Sunday Telegraph). "Spellbinding ... She captures a moment in time and leaves us reeling at the echoes." -- Michael McLoughlin, The Irish News "Cool, elegant, and beautifully controlled, the stories collected in Ice Cream display Dunmore's virtuosity of language." -- Pamela Norris, The Independent on Sunday "All the senses are vibrantly alive in these stories." -- Katie Owen, The Sunday Telegraph

    Can Clementine save them all, or has she bitten off more than she can chew by stepping into the oddest little chocolate shop in London?

    A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.Authors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.

    The interviews that follow have echoes of another, far more famous literary journey, undertaken long ago and in another world.Drawing on the original, unexpurgated tales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, six of their most famous works are re-imagined in the rich and endlessly varied landscapes of contemporary America.From the glass towers of Manhattan to the remoteness of the Blue Ridge mountains; from the swamps of Louisiana to the jaded glamour of Hollywood, New World Fairy Tales reclaims the fairy tale for the modern adult audience. A haunting blend of romance and realism, these stripped-back narratives of human experience are the perfect read for anyone who has read their child a bedtime fairy story, and wondered who ever said these were stories meant for children.

    She needed a real man. Then they meet... Erik - Balancing a demanding job with college and taking care of a kid leaves Erik exhausted and stressed. So much, that even that hot coworker told him he needed to get laid. When Krista showed up at his door to babysit, he didn't realize yet just how much pressure she'll take off him... Krista - Single life in college is tough when no guy seems good enough. Until she meets Erik - the hot man in her building she used to watch from afar. She's only supposed to watch his kid, but when she sees him naked, she can't help but want more... Taking the Babysitter is a standalone short story featuring an older man (31) and a younger woman (19), fast-paced and full of suspense and action that you can't help but devour it in one sitting. No cheating and a happy end with satisfaction guarantee. Taking the Babysitter is part 1 in the Babysitter Romance series.

    A teenage girl tries to fit in at a party held in a haunted house, with unexpected and disastrous consequences.A mother and daughter run a thriving online business selling antique dolls, while their customers get more than they bargained for. And after a stillbirth, a young woman discovers that there is something bizarre and wondrous growing inside of her. With empathy and invention, Sullivan effortlessly blends genres in stories that are by turns strange and exquisite. Already established as an award-winning writer for children and young adults, I Want to Know That I Will Be Okay marks her arrival as a captivating new voice in literary fiction.

    When she was ten years old her parents died in a car crash. Now nine years later her Aunt Caroline is the only family she has left. And Caroline is dying. So when Death comes knocking (quite literally) in the form of the damaged and dangerous, Brennus, Avery makes a deal with the reaper in order to save Caroline.Brennus is an Ankou.One of the many, once mortal men and women, who were given the choice to become an immortal in exchange for ferrying the dead over into their afterlife. Nine years ago Brennus took Avery’s parents and tried to take Avery, but she fought him and won. Amazed by her strength Brennus followed Avery and has watched over her. Now he knows Avery is the one to offer him freedom from his obligation to the dead. And he’ll stop at nothing to have her.A YA Paranormal Romance for older readers.

    Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN.A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read.Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.Following A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, winner of the YA BOOK PRIZE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2018

    He certainly doesn't expect to end up working as Jake's assistant for five frustrating, thrilling, and crazy years instead of in front of the camera.It all works until Jake realizes Aaron has become the focus of his life, a life that's threatened when Aaron actually leaves him to start a relationship with someone else. Though it breaks his heart, Jake realizes he has to set his beloved muse free to have any chance of winning Aaron back.Reprint: This short story was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Size Still Matters.

    99 words. 100% horror!

    Her motto, ‘it’s my way or the highway’. You can take me or leave me she says but she’s more than sure you will take her. No longer satisfied with her high power job in Washington DC, she returns home to Smoothville, Georgia looking for love. Specifically, the love of her life, the high school sweetheart she ditched when she went away to college. Angelica is surprised when she discovers she loves her Smoothville Georgia City Manager position. She’s not a bit surprised, however, when she crosses paths with Shawn Mallory the man she plans to marry. Is a Valentine’s Day wedding in the making?

    Out of nowhere, sparks begin to fly, and things between them start to heat up. The only problem is...Stephen is engaged.Addison decides the best way to drown her sorrows is in alcohol. So she heads out on the town by herself for New Year's Eve.Lucas, a sexy tattooed man, catches Addison's eye. They dance, make jokes, and even make a playful bet that Addison accepts thinking all will be forgotten by morning--thanks to a night of heavy drinking.Will Addison find new love with Lucas? Or will she find a way to win Stephen over once and for all?

    At age 25, Ros calls in her chip.Her little brother lands in an hour.And he needs a place to crash.For more than one night.No problem, right?I pick Patrick up at LAX, expecting the same slight and nerdy boy I last saw in high school. He's still a nerd—new IT job—but all grown up and more gorgeous than any best friend's little brother has a right to be.When he walks around my apartment in only a towel, it’s difficult to keep seeing him as only a friend.Ros completely bails on us, so I propose pooling our money into a two-bedroom and officially becoming roommates. He’s polite, sweet, clean, and cooks.What could go wrong?I could fall in love with him. This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content, and adult situations.

    At least she used to. Somewhere between law school and real life, she lost her sparkle. Now she wears boring business suits to boring dates in her boring life. The last time Anna remembers feeling that sizzle was with the one man who's all cayenne and passion: Max Corazao, the one who got away. Except Max still sees Anna as a woman full of spice. And Anna intends to do whatever she can to be that woman again—with his (unknowing) help...

    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.