They are the building blocks of our lives. They are our memories. They are how we come to know our history. They are our escapism and entertainment. Some fact, some fiction, and some are a clever little mix. These stories… these stories are fiction. Short and scary. Delivered to you in small, terrifying bursts, much the way you'd experience each individual room in a haunted house attraction. They were specifically written to be enjoyed by both the not-too-young and old alike. Inside, you'll see some names you know and some names you don't. You'll find horror, drama, and even a few laughs... and zombies. Zombies by the ton. Gnawing, gnashing, stumbling, and staring... Right. At. You. Waiting... for a bite-sized offering. Enjoy!

    Emotional or physical disabilities and illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of - in fact they can make a man. With the inclusion of a poignantly emotional foreword by NYT best-selling author, Carrie Ann Ryan, this anthology will take you on a journey through comedic laughs, sweet contemporary romance, and into the world of darkness and bizarre.Joining the authors on their quest are one graphic artist, two photographers, and two models donating their time and efforts to this project, which has inspired all involved.We hope you will enjoy what you read -- "Because He's Perfect"!Foreword:Carrie Ann RyanAuthors:Alice La RouxAlly VanceAnna BlakelyAnna EdwardsClaire MartaDani RenéDanielle DicksonElle BoonJo-Anne JosephKA SandsK.L. HumphreysLexi C FossLexxie CouperMaria MacdonaldMorgan CampbellMurphy WallaceRenee HarlessSamantha LewisTracie DelaneyVictoria L. JamesModels:Sean BradyChristopher JohnPhotographers:Christopher John at 'CJC Photography'David WillsGraphic Artist:Charity Hendry at 'Judged by the Cover'

    Cheerleaders are seriously injured and even killed at a higher rate than other high school sports. Their stunts are performed in skimpy uniforms without the benefit of proper safety equipment…and yet they love them, glittery eyeshadow, spirit bows, and all.And then there are the Fighting Pumpkins, who take that injury rate as a challenge. Students of Johnson’s Crossing High School, they answer to a higher calling than the pyramid and the basket toss, pursuing the pep rally that is rising up against mysteries and monsters, kicking gods with the pointed toes of professional athletes chasing a collegiate career.Meet Jude, half-vampire squad leader; Laurie, who can compel anyone to do as she asks; Heather, occasionally recreationally dead; Marti, strong enough to provide a foundation for any stunt; Colleen, who knows the rule book so well she may as well have written it; and Steph, who may or may not be the goddess of the harvest. The rest of the squad is ready to support them, and braced for the chaos of the big game, which may have a big body count. Prepare to jump high, yell loud, and look pretty with the Fighting Pumpkins, those glorious girls in the orange and green, whose high kicks could still be enough to save the world.And if they’re not, it isn’t going to be for lack of trying.Dying with Her Cheer Pants On includes three stories appearing for the first time anywhere: "Tryouts," "Trial by Fire," and "Compete Me."

    though I did leave out some of the original "diary" entries that appeared on an earlier version of the Morganville website, simply because they were just scenes and not stories, and were generally really short snippets. This is all short fiction, and it's been carefully organized into the timeline, so you can read from the earliest adventures (some of which belong to vampires) all the way through some post-Daylighters goodies.MIDNIGHT BITES includes a total of more than 50,000 words of brand new content, which makes me very happy indeed (and I hope will also make you happy, too). From stories featuring our favorite bunny-slipper-wearing mad scientist to a mystery solved by police chief Hannah Moses, I think you'll find this is a diverse group of stories that will shine a little more light in the murkiest corners of Morganville.

    Reading it is like attending a late night secret banquet where you know each course will serve up something unexpected, forbidden and unforgettably chilling. Take your private seat now for 50 luscious courses of terror, from 50 of the strongest voices in modern horror.

    Serving our country was something I was made to do. It was the only thing I knew. I was going to miss it so much, but the time had come for me to return home for good. The love of my life was pregnant. We were starting a family. I was going to be a father. Life was perfect. All of my years as a SEAL hadn't prepared me for the heartbreak that was coming. One second my love was right there with me, and the next I was alone, just a single dad raising his little girl. An unexpected meeting with a total stranger gave me the chance to follow my dreams and start my own company. There were only two things that mattered to me. The first being my daughter and giving her the life she deserved, and I was working hard to do just that. The second was my company and the thought of building it into something great, so I buried myself in work. Everything was fine the way it was. I kept to myself, my little girl was happy, and my company was growing. That was exactly how I liked it. The one thing I didn't need was a distraction. I didn't have time for that, and I didn't want it. Then I got a call. It was part of the job. That's all it was. I had no idea just how much that one call would change everything.

    Kevin Brockmeier's fiction has always explored the space between the fantastical and the everyday with profundity and poignancy. As in his previous books, The Ghost Variations discovers new ways of looking at who we are and what matters to us, exploring how mysterious, sad, strange, and comical it is to be alive--or, as it happens, not to be.

    Men and women alike fixate on her. Some try to mimic her, some want to be like her, some would give anything to be part of her circle. At fourteen she changed my life, and didn’t know it. She never would. At seventeen, I became the man I wanted to be because of her. She would never know that either. At twenty-five, she wasn’t given a choice but to see the man I was. She came on to me. At twenty-eight, I was ready to be free of her. She wouldn’t allow it. I am Franco Protettore, bodyguard and protector of an Italian socialite. Five foot six, one hundred and thirty pounds, a full c cup, an ass far from slight, and an aura of sex surrounding her, she is in everyone’s radar. She makes my job… hard.

    Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance—and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her. This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

    This second edition is filled with some old faces and some new ones.Wrap up your presents neatly under the tree, because the naughty helpers are going on vacation this year.That's right, all of our stories will be taking place in resorts or on vacation. After all, you never know if you might meet in a foreign place, or if you might come in contact with the one who got away, your best friend's sibling, or maybe even your overbearing boss.Santa's Naughty Helpers: Second Edition includes stories from: Elizabeth Knox & J.H. Wolfe, E.C. Land, Heather Young-Nichols, Rae B. Lake, Jen Talty, Jewelz Baxter, Liberty Parker, Emily Sharp, Eva James, Cedar Rose, and Zara Teleg.

    Luckily, she has a dashing hero to assist her. But his puzzling past may tear them apart.Eleanor Blackwood is thrilled to spend time at her best friend’s country estate. Angsley Hall overflows with the breathtaking natural beauty of fields, forests, and a mighty river, as well as with a mystery or two. She’s even more delighted by the unexpected arrival of the man who has secretly captured her heart.Grayson O’Connor is not immune to Eleanor’s charms. True, she still climbs trees and acts rashly, but she also has a quick wit and joyful humor. Yet with his own past cloaked in shadows, he’s not convinced he has the right to pursue this innocent spirit.Amidst a week of drenching squalls, they begin an intriguing treasure hunt based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug. Danger becomes all too real with midnight intruders, shots in the dark, and a perilously swollen river cresting its banks. Unlike Poe’s story of pirate booty, Eleanor and Gray discover the greatest treasure is the precious human heart—theirs to cherish or to tear apart.Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue—you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling writer Sydney Jane Baily.(Note: This story was first published as part of the USA Today Bestselling Boxed set, The Midnight Hour: All Hallows' Brides, October 2019)

    He's the mayor's son, and his bad boy reputation makes me nervous. But I put all that aside for just one night, and I make the best mistake of my life.He gets me pregnant. It's a one-in-a-million chance, but of course it happens to me.He wants to step up and be a father. More than that, he wants me.Everything about him drives me wild. His touch, his stare, the way he laughs as his hands slide down my back.He’s not letting go without a fight. He’s going to remind me why I gave myself to him that first night.If he keeps touching me, I just might give him everything he wants and more.His Dream BabyHe’s coming for his dream baby.And he wants me to be the mother.I never asked to be a mom, but when my cousin made me swear to watch over her son after she passed away, I agreed to adopt him.But I had no clue his father was still around.Connor is gorgeous, but he’s such an a**hole. He’s the sort of cocky jerk my cousin would go for, and not at all my type.He wants his baby back, but I made a promise. I don’t care how charming and handsome Connor is, he's still a total stranger. I’m not letting him take my boy without a fight.But Connor wants more than just his baby. He wants my body, and he’s not shy about it.It scares me how appealing that sounds.Connor says he’s getting his baby back plus a little extra.It’s crazy, but I just might give it to him.His Perfect BabyI can’t get pregnant, but that won’t stop him from trying.David Carlson is rich, handsome, and brilliant. He’s so far out of my league that it makes my head spin. And during our one and only night together, he does the impossible.I’m not supposed to be able to get pregnant, but David makes it happen anyway.Years later, he comes to me with a business proposition, and it takes me totally off guard.He’ll pay me two million dollars to be his surrogate, but he wants to get me pregnant the old fashioned way.I can’t walk away from this opportunity. I’m a single mom and I need the money.I have David’s perfect baby already, but he can’t ever know about her. I’m terrified he’ll learn the truth and take my daughter away from me.One night of passion with David gave me a baby. Several months of passion might give me so much more than that, if only I can give myself over to him completely.His Wonder BabyI was too broken to have a baby.Until my best friend put me back together and got me pregnant.When I met Will Eaton, I was a mess.He listened to me. He held my hand. Slowly, I came out of my shell, and we were best friends ever since.At least until one night when we finally gave in to our desires and he got me pregnant. The doctors all told me that I’d never have a baby, but clearly they never met Will.But as soon as I find out, Will leaves for two years, and it’s like I’m torn to shreds all over. I keep my daughter a secret and vow never to speak to him again.Now he’s back. I hate him, but I still dream about his athletic body pressing me down on the bed.I’m too afraid to let him in. But I can’t help the way I feel when he’s around.I want another taste of that night, and I know he’s going to give it to me.

    

    But when someone starts picking the pockets of the tourists in the theater, Olivia Houghton has to call in an expert. When Duke Dunbar first gets the assignment to catch a theater pickpocket, he figures it’s a slam dunk. But they can’t catch this thief the old fashioned way. There’s something funny going on in the old Moonrise and Duke and Olivia realize that the answer isn’t going to make them laugh. PART II Kari Jo Mounds is the hottest young up and coming country singer on the Branson music scene. When she starts receiving threatening notes from an admirer, her manager Adam Cathcart calls Rock Wolf Investigations for help. Ellie Pierce has no patience for the woes of angsty young singers, but she sure knows her way around a security detail. Adam and Ellie must untangle the twisted trail of broken hearts Kari Jo has left behind before someone breaks her instead of her cheating country heart. PART III The Branson Landing is full of stores for shopping, restaurants for eating, and even a light and water show down by the edge of Lake Taneycomo. When the Landing suddenly becomes full of skateboarders pestering the tourists, Laurie Talcott calls Rock Wolf Investigations for reinforcements. Younger Adair figures this is going to be just another job dealing with bored teenagers. Then Laurie and Younger start to dig for clues. The story they uncover proves the bored teenagers are really a distraction for something else. Now it’s time to act fast before Laurie winds up taking the blame. PART IV Mindy has had it raising her younger brother. He’s a problem child for sure. Then he comes home one night from his shift at the go cart track high as a kite and with a wild excuse to boot. The local police won’t listen and then Mindy meets Ash. She isn’t so sure if he’s a good guy or a bad guy, but he’s willing to help and that’s all that matters. Mindy and Ash will have their hands full sorting dirty cops from clean ones as they try to shut down the drug ring ruining everyone’s Branson vacation. PART V Kylie Overton knows that there is something odd about her neighbor Titus Holbrook. Lately though, odd just doesn’t cover it. Titus has been acting paranoid. Coming and going at all hours of the day and night and making excuses. Kylie thought she had a totally hot, but really weird neighbor. She didn’t realize she was getting sucked into a world of blackmail where reporters go crazy and werewolves are real. To make matters worse, Titus Holbrook is her only ally in this strange alternate reality.

    This duet offers more than a tune up— it’ll make you fall in love all over again!Get ready baby cakes, it’s time to rev your engine!FILTHY SWEETWhen Moxon sees Millie on the side of the road, he’s determined to get under her hood.She’s not just curvy and creative—she’s also filthy-sweet.And exactly the kind of woman this mechanic has been dreaming of.DIRTY CUTEWhen Clementine walks into Mike’s auto shop he has plans to change her oil.She’s not just innocent and intelligent—she’s also dirty-cute.And this single-dad mechanic is looking to do more than get under her hood—he wants a place in her heart—permanently.