These are the legends of Australian fantasy - eleven of Australia's best-loved and most widely read writers ... Gathered together by equally legendary editors Jack Dann and Jonathan Strahan to produce an entirely original compilation ...Celebrate the legends of Australian fantasy. Extraordinary voices ... extraordinary worlds. Come to Erith, to a faerie tale with a sting, or to Obernewtyn, long before the Seeker was born. Revisit a dark pocket of history for the Magician's Guild or get caught up in the confusion of an endlessly repeating day in the Citadel. Cross the wall, where Charter magic is all that lies between you and death. A trip with a graverobber can be gruesome, and it's hard to share the fear of a woman who must kill her husband if her child is to rule ... A mysterious tale plays out in Sevenwaters. Catch up with Ros and Adi as they prepare for the greatest change of all. Other twists in these fabulous tales bring us to demonic destiny and an alternate WWII. these eleven short novels will take you on amazing new journeys with favourite characters from the worlds you know and love ...

    May of these stories are from the pages of Weird Tales and other classic magazines which brought the work of masters like H.P. Lovecraft, Seabury Quinn, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth, Robert E. Howard, and many others to the public. Includes an active table of contents.

    Was that my imagination, or did I hear something under my bed? What was that blurred movement in my darkened closet? There is but a thin Veil separating the real and the fantastic, and therein dwell the inhabitants of these stories. Beyond the Pale contains twelve short stories by award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors Saladin Ahmed (Throne of the Crescent Moon), Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn), Heather Brewer (Vladimir Tod), Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), Rachel Caine (The Weather Warden), Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures), Nancy Holder (Wicked), Gillian Philip (Rebel Angels), and Jane Yolen (Owl Moon). The noun “pale” refers to a stake (as in impaling vampires) or pointed piece of wood (as in a paling fence). “Pale” came to refer to an area enclosed by a paling fence. Later, it acquired the figurative meaning of an enclosed and therefore safe domain. Conversely, "beyond the pale" means foreign, strange, or threatening. You are about to go Beyond the Pale.

    Love with humans is absolutely forbidden, and one man makes certain to uphold this ancient law: Jacob, the Enforcer. . . For 700 Years, He Has Resisted Temptation. But Not Tonight. . . Jacob knows the excuses his people give when the madness overtakes them and they fall prey to their lust for humans. He's heard everyone and still brought the trespassers to justice. Immune to forbidden desires, uncontrollable hunger, or the curse of the moon, his control is total. . .until the moment he sees Isabella on a shadowy New York City street. Saving her life wasn't in his plans. Nor were the overwhelming feelings she arouses in him. But the moment he holds her in his arms and feels the soft explosion of her body against his, everything changes. Their attraction is undeniable, volatile, and completely against the law. Suddenly everything Jacob has ever believed is inflamed by the heat of desire. . . Bring on the night. "Jacqui Frank's Nightwalker series depicts an engrossing alternate world, drawn in prose that is lush and lyrical." --Linda HowardOnly for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, "Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us--the most loved of all dragons?" No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer.So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call The Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying. . .woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman--one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor? And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon's heart? NEVER TEMPT FATE It’s been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she’s survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a man she both desires and fears.For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago, Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death.A terrifying plan has been set in motion, one that will plunge Dante and Abby into an epic battle between good and evil—and a desperate race to save their love…Praise for Alexandra Ivy“Beyond the Darkness kept me riveted! The Guardians of Eternity series is highly addictive.”—Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author“Oh, so hot and wonderfully dangerous.”—Gena Showalter on Darkness UnleashedIn this tantalizing collection, four New York Times bestselling authors invite you into the alluring worlds they've created in the Demonica, Guardians of Eternity, Nightwalkers, and Dragon Kin series. Each mesmerizing page will leave you craving more. . . "Vampire Fight Club" by Larissa Ione When a wave of violence forces shapeshifter Vladlena to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge. Both Vladlena and Nathan are hiding something, but they can't conceal the lust that simmers between them . ....

    This box set is intended for adults only. It includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and dark themes. HYDE was inspired by Stevenson's novella but is not a retelling, in part because he and this author have very different definitions of 'bad boy'. HYDE, an Urban Fantasy: Two people bonded by a hereditary curse and a manipulative enemy they know nothing about. When the truth leaves them nothing to hold onto, they are forced into a partnership neither expected...or wanted.Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can't even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on earth you should be falling for. JEKYLL, an Urban Fantasy: After waking up in her enemy's spare bedroom, Eden will do whatever is necessary to get back to Mitch. Because his life depends on it.Mitch has lost something he never thought he'd find to begin with. And "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" is a lie. A lie people tell themselves to make the pain go away. But the pain doesn't go away, not in someone like Mitch. It festers. It grows. Until it can't be held back, even by the bars of a cage. STRANGE CASE, an Urban Fantasy: In this final chapter of Mitch and Eden's story, everyone will be tested. Morality and honor weighed against getting the job done. But desperation can make people do things they never thought they'd be capable of.And returning from hell is a pretty damn big wake-up call, especially once Mitch realizes that the woman he loves has been in a different kind of hell...and she can't get out of it.

    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+.

    Thirty and single? Well, getcha butt to the Gathering! Scarlet - As if hitting thirty wasn’t enough, unmated Scarlet Wickham is summoned to this year’s Gathering. As a woman Marked to be the mate of an Alpha pair, she’s not going to find happiness anywhere other than in the arms of two Alpha werewolves. So, off she goes with her sisters in tow. ‘Cause yeah, she’s one of the plump Wickham triplets, and they’re all being carted off to werewolf speed dating. Gabriella - Ugh. Gabriella Wickham thought turning thirty was bad enough, but now she’s been invited (ordered) to attend this year’s Gathering (werewolf speed dating). Having a Mark on her arm means that she’s one of the few human women destined to mate with not one, but two Alpha werewolves. Thank goodness werewolves don’t come in “ugly.” After her sister Scarlet mates the Ruling Alphas, things really start to get interesting. Gabby runs into not one, but two hotter than hot werewolves who make her tingle in all the right places. Yum. Of course, “yum” comes with baggage of both the mental and female kind. Lovely. Luckily it’s nothing a few punches and a good talking to can’t cure. Maybe…-ish. Whitney - Whitney Wickham is at the darned annual werewolf Gathering all right. Only there’s one problem: she doesn’t belong there. Her sisters carry the Mark indicating they’ll mate an Alpha Pair of wolves, while Whitney does not have that lovely, swirling scar. She’s been hauled half way around the world to be stared at, and not-so-covertly sniffed, for no reason. Unfortunately the gorgeous, drool worthy, magic-mojo-wielding Wardens don’t know why she’s been summoned to the Gathering any more than she does. Which sucks. But at least they’re hot. The ALPHA MARKED series: The Wickham Sisters 1. Scarlet 2. Gabriella 3. Whitney The Twynham Sisters 4. Rebecca 5. Lorelei 6. Paisley

    There are typical vampires who would be right at home in a horror story or a gothic romance; historical vampires; contemporary, gritty, urban vampires; fang-in-cheek comedy; boy-meets-girl sweetheart stories (if a little bloodier!); and erotic tales of inhuman passions and midnight pleasures. Look out, too, for stand-alone stories relating to existing series and characters of contributing authors, or stories which develop more fully characters who have only walk-on parts in those authors' longer fiction. Includes writing by big-name authors such as Jennifer Ashley, Kim Harrison writing as Dawn Cook, Caitlin Kittredge, Diane Whiteside and Eileen Wilks.

    1 Ley Line Drifter by Kim Harrison - Pixy Jenks faces murderous dryad locked inside statue 2 Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost - Bones, faces New Orleans ghouls who eat victims alive - horror 3 Dark Matters by Vicki Pettersson - JJ superhero has illicit affair with Shadow agent Solange 4 The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten by Jocelynn Drake - Savannah vampire Keeper Mira investigates murder 5 Two Lines by Melissa Marr - Eavan resists sex and murder that morph her into a glaistig until Daniel Brennan, sex slaver, tempts her into both.

    On the deadly island of Patji, where predators can sense the thoughts of their prey, a lone trapper discovers that the island is not the only thing out to kill him.Mary Robinette Kowal’s “A Fire in the Heavens” is a powerful tale of a refugee seeking to the near-mythical homeland her oppressed people left centuries ago. When Katin discovers the role the “eternal moon” occupies in the Center Kingdom, and the nature of the society under its constant light, she may find enemies and friends in unexpected places.Dan Wells’s “I.E.Demon” features an Afghanistan field test of a piece of technology that is supposed to handle improvised explosive devices. Or so the engineers have told the EOD team that will be testing it; exactly what it does and how it does it are need-to-know, and the grunts don’t need to know. Until suddenly the need arises.Howard Tayler’s “An Honest Death” stars the security team for the CEO of a biotech firm about to release the cure for old age. When an intruder appears and then vanishes from the CEO’s office, the bodyguards must discover why he is lying to them about his reason for pressing the panic button.For years the hosts of Writing Excuses have been offering tips on brainstorming, drafting, workshopping, and revision, and now they offer an exhaustive look at the entire process. Not only does Shadows Beneath have four beautifully illustrated fantastic works of fiction, but it also includes transcripts of brainstorming and workshopping sessions, early drafts of the stories, essays about the stories’ creation, and details of all the edits made between the first and final drafts.Come for the stories by award-winning authors; stay for the peek behind the creative curtain.

    An up-and-coming executive at DigiCom, Tom Sanders is a man whose corporate future is certain. But after a closed door meeting with his new boss--his former lover who has been promoted to the position he expected to have--Sanders is caught in a web of deceit where he is branded the villain. As Sanders scrambles to defend himself, he uncovers an electronic trail into the company's cynical and manipulative secrets.Rising SunOn the forty-fifth floor of the Nakamoto Tower in downtown L.A.--the American headquarters of the immense Japanese conglomerate--a grand opening celebration is in full swing. On the forty-sixth floor, in an empty conference room, the dead body of a beautiful woman is discovered. The investigation begins...and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue. With a no-holds-barred conflict in which control of a vital American technology is the fiercely coveted prize, the saying "business is war" takes on a terrifying reality.Now for the first time ever, two of Michael Crichton's most captivating and controversial novels are combined in one exciting volume. Her is America's top suspense writer at the top of his form.--jacket

    A mage cop on his first assignment learns the world isn't as black and white as hopedA jump mage and a starship with matching needs turn out to be a magnet for troubleDigging in 1940s New York City awakens a monster--and brings in the elite of the FaeThe protected heir of an interstellar dictatorship is called to a battle no one expected him to fightAn explosive collection of four novellas from science fiction and fantasy author Glynn Stewart, spanning his ONSET, Starship's Mage, Changeling Blood and Exile universes, including two brand new urban fantasy novellas.  Includes:ONSET: Murder by MagicStarship's Mage: Episode 1Fae, Flames and FedorasAshen Stars

    Peter Venkman is trapped in 1886, and his only chance to return to present-day Earth and free all of humanity from the Rule of Kozar'Rai has him teaming with a very unexpected (and very beautiful) ally

    Terrifying urban myths, malicious ghosts, cursed architecture, malignant city deities, personal demons (in business or relationships) twisted into something worse virtually anything that inspires the contributors to imagine some bit of urban darkness."

    With one condition: Trinity must prove her resilience as a lover for him and his first officer, Sebastian Cole. Trinity not only sees Nathan's bet. She raises it...Now, from galactic dens of depravity to far-reaching planets of dominant females and strapping male slaves, Trinity, Sebastian, and Nathan join forces, risk flesh and blood, and push the boundaries of erotic adventure in order to protect, honor, and service.TrinityThrallClaiming Cassidy