WHAT are the dangers of getting directions from a fairy tale frog? WHERE do archangels go to kick back and relax? HOW can a garden gnome mend a broken heart? WHO is the last person you’d expect to visit you at Christmas? WHY shouldn’t you let Satan organise your funeral? Find out the answers to these and other pressing questions in this collection of short stories from the authors of the Clovenhoof series.

    Powers Unlocked. An Alliance is Born.Ten thousand years ago, the Furies nearly exterminated all life in the universe before being defeated by a coalition of worlds led by the Olympians.Or so everyone thought.Now they're back, and a new reign of terror has begun.

    While some of these narratives are loosely based in fact, they are written with a large dollop of literary license. The characters are not "politically correct" in today's parlance and speak in the vernacular of their time and culture. Some of them you will like ...others you may not. No disrespect or offense is intended in the telling. These are their stories.The lead story "Fat of The Land" was a past runner-up in the national Raymond Carver short story awards.

    The big foyer at the Bell House has been decorated for the holidays and Polly's family has been hard at work decorating the rest of the house. She's ready for anything. The managers of the Sycamore Bed and Breakfast, Reuben and Judy Greene, have moved into town. While the old farmhouse is in the middle of its restoration, they plan to renovate a storefront down the street from Sweet Beans. They found something incredible in the upstairs apartment, bringing old and new together for a heartwarming moment. Moments like that prevail in this story. Last year, Polly and Henry brought two new little boys into their lives on Christmas Eve. This Christmas Eve, Noah and Elijah help the family create a beautiful new tradition. Like always, there are a few surprises. Your job is to hold them close so others can enjoy the fun. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year in Bellingwood.

    Despite his inwardly sweet personality, his naturally sharp gaze and aggressive features give him the air of a delinquent thug, putting his chances at making friends, let alone a girlfriend, next to zero.It’s Ryuuji’s first day of his junior year in high school and it seems as if things are looking up. He gets to sit in between his only friend, Kitamura, and even better, the girl he’s secretly crushing on, Kushieda Minori. But just when he thinks the stars are aligned in his favor, he unwittingly crosses the ultimate mean girl in school, Aisaka Taiga. What's worse, the fierce Taiga happens to live right next door to Ryuuji and is Minori’s best friend! Can this school year possibly get worse?!

    It’s first come first served, and his classmates have already beaten him to the punch. Haruka has to make do with what he can get as he navigates his way through this brave new world, all while flying solo!

    Now, she will do whatever it takes to conquer the industry. But is success worth it? Will it truly bring Yuzumi happiness? Or will she spend her days wallowing in anger and anxiety? What must Yuzumi do to release a successful game?!

    Unfortunately, the Cresswill case was anything but. It started as a suicide, but then it was a murder pretending to be a suicide. Then it appeared that it was a suicide masquerading as a murder pretending to be a suicide. It was all so ridiculous, but the only thing a jury needs to acquit is a reasonable doubt, even when it seems quite unreasonable. Or is it? Or not? Perhaps to find the truth, the police need help that is every bit as unhinged as the case…

    The only problem is that grandpa is the head of a yakuza gang! Too scared to join her new family, Sachie tries to continue living her normal life. She can't run far though, since one of the most popular guys in school is part of her grandfather's gang and her new protector. No one at school knows about Rakuto's hidden life, and soon Sachie finds herself falling for her bodyguard. But she's the granddaughter of Rakuto's boss, and he can never show his feelings for her. Can Sachie find a way to fit into her new family and grab her chance at love?

    Now she's been accepted to the same school as her childhood hero, Shiny Chariot-the prestigious Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy. As the only student to come from a non-magical family, Akko finds herself surrounded by prodigies from around the world, but giving up isn't in her vocabulary. Whether it's making friends, proving the doubters wrong, or just flying on a broom, Akko is going to make her fantasy a reality!

    She's a bit shy, she's got a crush on a boy named Kyô, and she's got an older sister who is more popular than she is...pretty normal stuff, until Alice has an encounter with a mysterious and magical rabbit girl that changes the course of her life, and Alice is introduced to the sublime power of the Lotis Words.Alice Seno is a seemingly shy and meek girl who always seems to be outshined by her older sister Mayura. One day, Alice has an encounter with a mysterious and magical rabbit girl, and her life is turned upside down. Alice discovers that certain words have power, and that she has the potential to be master of a set of sublimely powerful words called the Lotis Words. But power always comes with a price, and the price may turn out to be Alice's sister Mayura...

    1: Red Like Roses has a total of 20 side stories.One side story includes Mercury persuading Ruby to dance with him during the Beacon Dance.Another side story is about Weiss asking the rest of her team to search for a shadow entity that she saw in the middle of Beacon Academy. It turns out to be a sleepwalking Nora, whom Ren finds and brings back to their dorm.

    His Tales and Legends from India, Angry River, Strange Men, Strange Places, The Blue Umbrella, A Long Walk for Bina and Hanuman to the Rescue are also available in Rupa paperback. The Ruskin Bond's Children's Omnibus has been a firm favourite with young readers for several years. Ghost Stories from the Raj, The Rupa Book of Great Animal Stories, The Rupa Book of True Tales of Mystery and Adventure, The Rupa Book of Himalayan Tales and The Rupa Book of Great Suspense Stories are some of his recent books for Rupa.

    Toya is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood and refuses to make the traditional partnership with a human, whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years. Chiyuki makes the most of the time she has left, even though things aren't that exciting--until she comes across a reluctant vampire late one chilly night. Can Chiyuki teach Touya to feel a passion for life, even as her own is ending?