Christmas comes but once a year--which is too bad, because the stories in this dazzling collection are fun to read anytime. They put a speculative spin on the holiday, giving fans of acclaimed author Connie Willis a welcome gift and a dozen reasons to be of good cheer. Brimming with Willis's trademark insights and imagination, these heartwarming tales are full of humor, absurdity, human foibles, tragedy, joy, and hope. They both embrace and send up many of the best Christmas traditions, including the Christmas newsletter, Secret Santas, office parties, holiday pageants, and Christmas dinners (both elaborate and spare). There are Rockettes, the best and worst Christmas movies, modern-day Magi, Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come--and the triumph of generosity over greed. Like the timeless classics we return to year after year, these stories affirm our faith in love, magic, and the wonder of the season.Stories included:- Miracle- All About Emily- Inn- All Seated on the Ground- In Coppelius's Toyshop- Adaptation- deck.halls@bought/holly- Cat's Paw- Now Showing- Newsletter- Epiphany- Just Like the Ones We Used to Know

    During the long, crowded festivities of Deyalda, there’s nowhere to escape. Until a handsome stranger promises to teach her to save herself…THE CHOSEN, by Thea HarrisonIn her visions, Lily sees two men fighting for her tiny country’s allegiance: the wolf and the tiger, each deadly, each cunning. One will bring Ys chaos and death, one a gentler path—but she’s destined to love whichever she chooses. The midwinter Masque is upon them, and the wolf is at her door…THE STORM, by Elizabeth HunterWhen her soul mate died in a massacre of the half-angelic Irin people, Renata thought she’d never feel happiness again. She’s retreated to the snowy Dolomites to remember her hurts—until determined, irrepressible Maxim arrives to insist on joy, too. And before she can throw him out, they discover a secret the Irin have to know…THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN, by Jeffe KennedyAs a blizzard threatens their mountain keep, the new Queen Amelia of the Twelve Kingdoms and her unofficial consort Ash face their own storm. Ash knows a scarred, jumpy ex-convict isn’t the companion his queen needs. But when a surprise attack confines them together in their isolated sanctuary, the feast of midwinter might tempt even Ash into childlike hope…

    She has until the end of the week to come up with a breathtaking shot or she’ll be replaced. And there’s a sudden model shortage; they’re out of season.The old, depressing problem: she hasn’t had a date, sex or a relationship in over two years.She also has one hell of a headache.Hope finds the cures for her two problems during a search through Wal-Mart for a painkiller to kill her headache.Turns out the aisles of the retail giant are rampant with hot young model worthy specimens. And when her trusty Ford Taurus breaks down in the parking lot, a hunky mechanic in the Tire and Lube Express department fixes more than just her car.Seemingly her troubles are good as gone…but then her new, fabulous cover is rejected, and in a desperate moment she has to choose between keeping her job and keeping the man she’s just starting to fall in love with.

    Billionaires, athletes, rockers, Doms, and cowboys, all in one collection, because why should you have to choose?Their Virgin Captive (Masters of Ménage #1): Shayla Black and Lexi BlakeBrothers Gavin, Slade, and Dex, fall hard for Gavin’s new secretary, beautiful Hannah Craig. The oil executives know they must give her time to get to know them before she can choose one…who will seduce the virgin and keep her for his own.Try Me (One Night with Sole Regret #1): Olivia Cunning Melanie has no desire to meet the members of the rock band, Sole Regret, but her groupie of a best friend gets them both backstage and then rushes off with the band's lead singer. Will Melanie and the band's drummer, Gabe, only share a single night of passion?Tempt Me (One Night with Sole Regret #2): Olivia Cunning Madison will take one more hot-and-heavy night with Sole Regret's sexy lead guitarist Adam before she cuts all ties with him for good. She has no problem tempting Adam into her bed, but can she tempt his heart into taking a chance on love?One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles #1): Lisa Renee JonesShe's a struggling good girl taking care of a sick mother. He's the hot one night stand that she dared indulge in a year before...and now he's her sexy, rich new boss. Fate has thrown Lauren into the arms of a man who takes her to the absolute edge of passion, but will he destroy her career in the process? Ask For It : Selena BlakeTrevor Wyatt has lusted for journalist JJ Fairchild since before he retired from the NFL. Now she's back in his life and he's not going to miss the opportunity to show her just how good they could be together.Tucker's Fall (Purgatory Masters #1): Eliza GayleScandalized professor Maggie Cisco returns to her hometown to lick her wounds and reconsider her future when a snowstorm puts her in the path of stunningly handsome, insanely rich and equally intense, Tucker Lewis. Educating Ansley : Cat JohnsonSociety girl Ansley Craig’s is banished to a ranch in Colorado, just for having a little too much fun at a graduation party. She expects to find cows and boredom. What she doesn’t count on are the Kane brothers.

    But now happily in love and partners in crime once more, it feels like it’s all been worth it.But when a face from the past reappears, misunderstandings come between them once more.Can they hold on to their happy ever after?

    Where they took that first sentence was completely up to them.Every story is different.No story is related.The only thing these stories have in common is their starting point.All of the authors showcased in this anthology were featured in The Bookworm Box charity during 2019.Each author has graciously donated their story so that 100% of profits from this anthology will be going to the various charities The Bookworm Box is able to support because of you, the readers.

    . . ahem . . . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

    Why?Her sister is marrying Bobby's brother.She's trussed up in a bridesmaid dress that must have been designed originally as a Victorian Torture Chamber.To teach them a lesson, she and Bobby have been assigned to the Kiddie Table.And that's only the beginning...

    Tina has seen first-hand how Luca's relationships end with him sending apology flowers. She's worried she might be his next disaster. BLUE ROSES is the first book in Mimi Strong's BAKER STREET ROMANCE series, which is a collection of linked stories that may be read in any order. Blue Roses was published in April as part of the limited-time "Alphas After Dark" anthology, and is being re-released on its own with additional scenes as of May 1st. COMPLICATED GIRL, the second book in the BAKER STREET ROMANCE series, is about Tina's sister, Megan. That book is due out May 5th, 2014. BLUE ROSES is a complete, stand-alone novel, with no cliffhanger. The Baker Street Romance books may be read in any order.

    A STARSTUCK KISS was previously available as a limited time prequel novella. It is now ONLY available in the book STARS IN THEIR EYES. You will not find A STARSTRUCK KISS on any retailers. You will find it in the book STARS IN THEIR EYES.Celebrity photographer Jess Leighton is pitted against her rival William Harrigan in a high-stakes Hollywood chase. She can't trust him, but she can't resist him either. Can they work together and will their intense attraction get in the way? Book 1 in the new adult series Wrapped Up in Love...

    Montreux by Blair Babylon: Wulf von Hannover and Rae Stone are about to marry in Montreux, but Wulf’s aristocratic father makes one last attempt to derail the wedding. Home Bound by Olivia Rigal and Shannon Macallan: Trapped together by a storm, a voluptuous architect and a sexy TV news reporter melt the ice by a roaring fire. A Band of Heather by Sarah M. Cradit: Colleen and Noah belong to two very different worlds, but a band of heather changes their lives forever. Christmas on the Run by Daizie Draper: Wannabe rock star Tristan runs from a dangerous bookie and falls for the girl he’s only using as his perfect escape. Noel: A Blue Collar Christmas by J.C. Valentine: Nurse Noel Walker doesn’t date patients, but Officer Hunter Davis won’t give up until he slaps the cuffs on. Black Christmas by JC Andrijeski: Quintin Black vanishes, leaving Miri alone after a harrowing ordeal in Thailand. Will she forgive him in time for Christmas? Winter Tryst by Mira Bailee: One destroyed marriage. Two broken hearts. When Sean visits Lyla to say goodbye, winter’s magic forces the lovers to face the painful truth. Give and Take by Daisy Prescott: You never know who will show up at the Sip ’n Stroll in Langley. Someone’s pregnant. Someone’s engaged. And someone’s getting a puppy. Slow and Steady by V.J. Chambers: When danger interrupts Christmas shopping, Leigh and her husband Griffin sizzle. Take Me Home by Alison Foster: All my Christmas wishes were snatched away by an evil brute. What can you do when the man you hate most makes your mouth water? Bearfield Snowed In by Jacqueline Sweet: A hunter tracking her prey finds herself snowed in with a sexy shifter. Is he her mortal enemy or her fated mate? My Cowboy Soldier by Gillian Cherry: Holidays draw lovers and families together, except when war tears them apart. A Cub for Christmas by Ella Dominguez: This May-December romance burns up the pages when Aricelli realizes that unwrapping her Christmas package is only half the fun. Rosy Cheeks by Amity Wilde: Good things sometimes come in unlikely packages. When an online flirt stumbles into Karen’s very real life, he might be just what she needs. A Beary Merry Christmas by Jazzmyn Wolfe: After a season of frustration and pain, will curvy Kassandra and Brendan finally have a beary merry Christmas? Alec's First Christmas by Felicia Tatum: Daphne and Zander welcomed their baby Alec, and his first Christmas.

    In Jim Butcher’s ”Curses”, Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. In Patricia Briggs’ “Fairy Gifts,”, a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. In Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead”, the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. In Holly Black’s “Noble Rot”, a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own.Featuring original stories from 20 authors, this dark, captivating, fabulous, and fantastical collection is not to be missed!Contents:Curses / by Jim Butcher --How the pooka came to New York City / by Delia Sherman --On the slide / by Richard Bowes --The Duke of Riverside / by Ellen Kushner --Oblivion by Calvin Klein / by Christopher Fowler --Fairy gifts / by Patricia Briggs --Picking up the pieces / by Pat Cadigan --Underbridge / by Peter S. Beagle --Priced to sell / by Naomi Novik --The bricks of Gelecek / by Matthew Kressel --Weston walks / by Kit Reed --The projected girl/ by Lavie Tidhar --The way station / by Nathan Ballingrud --Guns for the dead / by Melissa Marr --And go like this / by John Crowley --Noble rot / by Holly Black --Daddy longlegs of the evening / by Jeffrey Ford --The skinny girl / by Lucius Shepard --The Colliers' Venus (1893) / by Caitlín R. Kiernan --King pole, gallows pole, bottle tree / by Elizabeth Bear.

    But when he’s adopted by Belinda and wakes up no longer a cat, but as a man and in her bed, can his curse finally be at an end? For more about the characters of Grace and Donna from Black Cat, look for Just Desserts by Cat Johnson.Friends with BenefitsMeg thinks she’s getting the best of both worlds when she and her friend Jeff decide to start having sex with no strings attached, until Meg suddenly finds that, strings or not, she’s become attached to Jeff. The question is, does Jeff feel the same, or is there a new woman in his life?FireworksThe last thing Brad wants to do is attend leadership school over the 4th of July holiday. How could the Army think it was a good idea to schedule training in Georgia in July? When his roommate Joe suggests they go see the fireworks and they run into Mary Jo, Joe’s first love there, Brad soon realizes things are only going to get a whole lot hotter. Especially once he discovers that Joe likes to share.The Soldier and the SirenAfter having his heart torn out by a Dear John letter while deployed, David returns home without much hope of things getting better. Then he heard her voice and his whole world changed.The Rookie (a Studs in Spurs series deleted scene)This 2,500 word deleted scene from Bucked (Studs in Spurs, Book 2) features Mustang, Chase and one lucky woman who gets to know them better. It’s not a complete story, nor is it a happily-ever-after romance, but it is a smoking hot threesome scene fans of the series, and readers of Bucked will love.Eight Second Ride (a Studs in Spurs series short story)Young pro bull rider Chase Reese learns a lesson about women the hard way, but makes a friend in the process in this high energy, action packed 3,000 word single scene. Written as a "thank you" to the fans of the Studs in Spurs series who requested more of Chase. See more of Chase and his fellow bull riders Slade and Mustang in the Studs in Spurs series by Cat Johnson and don’t miss Chase’s book Ride (Studs in Spurs, Book 3).

    Scott is a player and holds a grudge against her family, and she's determined not to give in to the deep feelings for him she's been hiding.A Christmas Rescue (Silver Bell Falls, Book 4) by Samantha ChaseSaving a litter of puppies right before Christmas was incredibly rewarding for Bailey Walsh. But getting snowed in with her sexy-yet-grinchy veterinarian boss turns out to be rewarding in a whole other way.Love on the Edge of Reason (Pine Harbour, Book 8) by Zoe YorkTom Minelli doesn't know why Chloe Davis has fled Pine Harbour, but she's pregnant with his baby and he wants her back. But a winter storm rolls in just as he finds her, trapping them together in a cabin on the lake.

    headlines a sinful new anthology where the dark and light sides of desire collide... Embrace the darkness and experience the light in this all-new anthology filled with touching stories of happily ever after alongside smoldering tales of irresistibly dangerous, otherworldly passion. From bewitching emotions and untamed desire to dazzling romance and tantalizing sensuality, these novellas explore the complex facets of the human heart-both the light side and the dark.