I mean staggeringly beautiful, men falling at your feet with hopeless adoration as they gaze upon you dumbfounded. That beautiful. I could become that beautiful if I chose, but only with a steep price. Would you pay the price? Does that call to your heart? It doesn’t call to mine. Yes, when I look at the girl in the mirror, I see a young woman of average height and slight build. I see her lovely emerald green eyes and I see her coarse, orange hair poking out in all directions like some unnatural haystack. I see the forty-seven warts that line her face, which accompany one large lump and two small boils. You’d probably think that I would be more than eager to trade for the great gift of beauty because I know some, if not all of you, would call me hideous. But I don’t think of myself as ugly. I think of myself as powerful, strong and fierce – for I have magical powers – powers that amaze and terrify me at times. And today is the most important day of my life, because today my mother will say the words over me and seal my fate. For I, Olive, am the last of the Winnowwood and this is my story. Based on the award winning screenplay of the same name, The Ugly Princess will take you on an amazing adventure filled with twists, turns and an ending that will take your breath away because it is also a love story of the most unusual, magical kind. “In the tradition of The Princess Bride (with somewhat less whimsy) and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Smith’s debut is a fairy tale in a new world…. The twists along this charming road make for an enchanting journey.” -- Kirkus Reviews --

    A disillusioned young man drifting through life without purpose, he almost welcomes the unexpected delivery of his father’s signet ring and a mysterious note. Estranged from his father before the man’s death, Keegan knows nothing of his family heritage, or of the world awaiting him on the other side of the magical barrier known as the Veil. Summoned by the grandfather he never knew existed, Keegan must travel beyond the Veil to become the older man’s apprentice. With his grandfather, known as the Guardian, they must safeguard the barrier tethering together the worlds of science and magic. Someone – or something – is at work trying to break that barrier and bring the long separated worlds together, to subjugate the human race on both sides. Before he can become his grandfather’s apprentice, Keegan must gain the approval of the High Council, a group of witches and wizards more interested in advancing their own agendas than in protecting their world. If he wins their approval, he must survive training under the tutelage of his grandfather’s assistant – a wizard convicted of treason some five-hundred years before and sentenced to spend all but one hour every day as a black cat. Learning to control the power within proves harder than he thought, but when he tries to return home he learns the shocking truth – his grandfather’s enemies want Keegan dead whether he’s an apprentice or not. If he doesn’t find the inner strength to control his power, both worlds could perish as the ancient portal is unsealed and the Shadow is unleashed upon mankind.

    From bestselling author Randi Cooley Wilson comes a darkly romantic twist to an epic paranormal romance story about a divine secret, a loyal protector, and a forbidden love.Eighteen-year-old Eve Collins started college unaware that one revelation would challenge everything she’s believed to be true about her family, life, and future. Around every corner, danger, secrets, and lies quickly become her new reality. And holding all the answers is the very attractive Asher St. Michael. Dark and mysterious, Asher is appointed to protect Eve at all costs. Bound by his oath of loyalty to mankind, he is forbidden from loving her.Drawn to one another by their forbidden attraction, they descend into a world filled with treachery, deceit, and darkness. A world where they find themselves caught in the middle of a centuries-old war. A world where they are forced to decide what they will sacrifice for love.Revelation is a journey of self-discovery, love, and sacrifice. It is the first full-length book within the Revelation Series, which is meant to be read in release order. Intended for mature readers.

    Just don’t ask her to figure out her own heart. Instead, she toys with the hearts of humans. It’s a little game the gods play, and this time it’s Aphrodite’s turn to defend the domain of love. The battleground is New York City, and the stakes are high—the winner receives a token, a favor the loser must fulfill. But every god has secrets. Every god lies. And no god can be trusted.Apollo is no exception. He killed Aphrodite’s love, and for that, he can never be forgiven. But Apollo is on a mission to win. For thousands of years, Aphrodite has kept him from the one he loves, but the wind has shifted, and now is his chance.God and goddess will choose their players. The clock will start. Two humans will fall in love, or they won’t—their fates are intertwined with the gods, their hearts slave to their circumstance, a slave to the game.And in this game of love, Aphrodite never loses.*Formerly titled Paper Fools

    Welcome to the World of Weird—better known as my life. It wasn’t always like this. I was once a normal high school senior, just filling out college apps and trying to stay sane long enough to get out of Moonlight, Missouri. Preferably before I ended up in a straight-jacket out of sheer boredom. At first, my only problems were my increasingly unwanted ability to see the dead and my desperation to remove the stalker known as my ex-boyfriend from my life. Somewhere along the line I must have pissed off the Bad Karma Fairy. Maybe I stepped on the wrong toadstool or peed in Loki’s personal swimming pool—I really don’t know. All I do know is I’m about to have the worst week of my life. Maybe the worst week of any teenager’s life. Ever. All because of a dead guy. From the second pale, too-hot-to-be-real Nathan Ashley stepped out of the wreckage of his mangled sports car, my life spiraled into complete and utter chaos. One minute, I'm quasi-normal, the next I’m being kidnapped by a vampire, I’m having weird, creepy powers sprout up out of nowhere, and I’m running from a demon who wants to get more familiar with my anatomy…or kill me. Again. Yeah, did I mention he's done it before? Anybody know if those straight-jackets come in pink?

    At least she thought so until the two most intriguing guys in her new school take an interest in her.Both boys are gorgeous and blessed with obscene amounts of money. They should have the emotional depth of note cards, but instead display undercurrents she doesn't fully understand. Rumors the pair destroys peoples' livelihoods seem ludicrous until she gets caught in the crossfire and her family almost loses their home. She's increasingly unsure either boy is really human, and their rivalry is rapidly turning deadly.

    Our USA Today and Bestselling authors have written brand new holidays stories just for you!A Furry Little Christmas - C.D. GorriStephanie needs a Santa Claus stat! What she doesn’t need is entanglements of any kind while she figures out what it is she really wants to do at this stage of her life.Tell that to the hunk her Pack’s Alpha sent to work for the almost fifty she-Wolf.What do you get when you mix two Wolves with a little holiday spirit? A furry little Christmas…Unwrapping Her Dragon - Julia MillsLiving without him for sixteen years sucked, but Everleigh survived. Now that blasted sexy Dragon is back with a tall tale and a basket load of apologies, and she can’t forget how bad it hurt to lose him the first time. Can she leave the past behind and trust Deacon to stand by her side for all eternity, or will she give up on the holidays forever? Only time will tell, but if Fate has anything to say about it that sweet Baker Bear will be unwrapping her Dragon sooner rather than later.Her Cowboy Warrior – Liv BrywoodTen years ago, bear shifter Gage Davis’ darkest secret ruined his relationship with his best friend. Now Raven’s back and she needs protection from her ex-husband. Gage has a second chance to make things right, but to win her heart, he’ll have to reveal the monster inside his soul and risk losing his fated mate forever.Tis the Season for Sass – Melanie JamesWhen a shadowy premonition forebodes the harshest winter in decades, Black Paw’s Alpha counts on the pack’s strongest wolves to help everyone pull through. But the Seer’s visions are swirling with majik and suggest an ancient legend will deliver more than just a blizzard to the wolves of Black Paw.A Fated Mate for Christmas – Selena BlakeWhen a fight between their packs sends Gabrielle Landrum to Alpha Garrett Kingsdale’s doorstep begging for a truce, she half expects to be thrown out into the snow. She is the rival’s daughter, after all. Garrett’s instinct is to not trust a word coming from the seductive beauty. But the more he listens and watches, the more he’s drawn to her. Especially those lips. The next thing he knows, he’s kissing her and he can’t even blame mistletoe. To keep her safe, he whisks her far away to work on a truce of their own.The Honeybear’s Xmas Curse – Jacqueline SweetThree years ago, Theresa Grimm had her Christmas ruined by an ex-boyfriend's curse. But Gauge Morrissey, bear shifter in exile, might have the solution to her problem. But breaking the curse will require facing down a warlock and risking it all.Her Cowboy's Christmas Surprise – J. K. HarperGarret Reeves and Callie Mayfield have been in love for several years. They are true mates, and wolf shifter Garret will always adore his very sexy human woman Callie. But when Callie starts to be a bit away from him, Garret is worried. He has no idea what is going on with her. His thought is that he must entice her back to him, for sure. Especially with the perfect wild Christmas night eve that they will spend together to reintroduce their perfect soul mates.Gracie’s Gift – V. VaughnGood things didn’t happen to Gracie, which is why when she meets Jack, the hot new employee at Sugar Mountain, she doesn’t dare to believe he’s interested in her. But he’s relentless in his pursuit of Gracie, and she lets herself fall for him when he tells her they’re forever. What she doesn’t know is what forever with Jack means.

    And avoiding life-threatening situations at all costs is just plain practical. But everything changes when Lord Adair tracks her down in London; searching for answers he seems to think she has.Greyston Adair is a blackguard and a smuggler, although British Customs will have to catch him red-handed to prove the latter. Fortunately, the dirigibles they float around in have never been able to get near his air dust.Hell is rising, One Demon at a Time...With Lady Ostrich hunting them, and the mystery of how their lives tie back to Cragloden Castle and the powerful McAllister clan, Lily has no option but to throw propriety to the wind and run off with Greyston to Scotland, away from the immediate danger and toward possible answers.

    In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside. In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn’t remember why she’s in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood… Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago. Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful. And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

    7 billion.Others ... unknown.When 14-year-old Charlie Blake wakes up sweating and gasping for air in the middle of the night, he knows it is happening again. This time he witnesses a brutal murder. He's afraid to tell anyone. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.Charlie doesn't know why this is happening. He would give anything to have an ordinary life. The problem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.He belongs with the others.

    She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too. Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally. Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance. Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim… Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

    While it will greatly enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the book, it is not intended to stand in its place.* From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes Dark Witch, the first book in the new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy. Use this sidekick to complement and enhance your experience of Roberts’ epic journey, spanning centuries of magic, Celtic mysteries, and family bloodlines. We meet Iona Sheehan, who has traveled to Ireland from America determined to unearth her family’s legacy of witchcraft and magic. Upon arrival in county Mayo, she meets her cousins Branna and Connor O’Dwyer and begins to unravel her family history, which includes the story of their ancestor Sorcha, and that of an evil sorcerer named Cabhan, who tried but failed to steal Sorcha’s powers 800 years earlier. The cousins begin to understand that their inherited magical powers are rooted in bloodlines passed down over centuries. Dark Witch weaves a spellbinding tale of good vs. evil, combining myth, magic, and romance. This sidekick’s chapter-by-chapter analysis will guide you through Roberts’ deftly plotted romantic adventure, as Iona falls in love with the handsome horseman Boyle McGrath and eventually learns to harness the power of her innate magic. Explore the Dark Witch's deeper themes of love, family, magic, and legend, as the family members prepare for an inevitable confrontation with ancient evil. Compelling and engaging, Dark Witch skillfully sets the stage for the remaining stories in the trilogy.

    Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

    She did not believe in vampires, until she turns into one. Should she follow her vampire cousin's lead and walk away from everything she knows, or join Shadow Falls, a camp for special teens?This short story from C.C. Hunter gives readers a look into Della's history.

    As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.