Elrod's picked 15 of her favorite short works for this multi-genre collection spanning 15 years of publication.Also included is a never before published VAMPIRE FILES story, featuring her urban fantasy vampire PI, Jack Fleming!Each story has been polished afresh for this anthology, with pages of new material added.More information -- and previews of the stories! -- may be found at her website vampwriter-dot-com.Titles:1. A Night at the (Horse) Opera (Vampire Files, Fleming)2. The Breath of Bast (Vampire Files), Ecsott)3. Bossman (Original mystery, no vamps)4. Slaughter (Vampire Files, Fleming & Gordy)5. The Devil's Mark (Original historical vampire)6. You'll Catch Your Death (Vampire Files)7. Izzy's Shoe-In (Historical mystery introducing Izzy DeLeon, fearless girl reporter)8. The Quick Way Down (Vampire Files, Fleming and Gordy)9. The Scottish Ploy (Original romance/mystery)10. Grave-Robbed (Vampire Files, Fleming)11. The Company You Keep (Vampire Files, Gabriel Kroun)12. Death in Dover (Jonathan Barrett before he got vamped, historical mystery)13. Drawing Dead (ALL NEW VAMPIRE FILES, Fleming)14. King of Shreds and Patches (Hamlet from a different point of view, mystery)15. Fugitive (Science fiction/space opera)16. BONUS STORY! The Wind Breathes Cold (Quincey Morris: Vampire)

    And when a filmmaker friend is brutally murdered in the manner of a death scene from one of his movies, she's convinced that a copycat killer is on the loose�and that she's the next target. The man who swoops in to save her is the mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect.… Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights When her brother-in-law turns up dead and her sister is accused of the crime, Sophie's priority is finding the real killer. With or without Anatoly's help. Her brother-in-law's secret life yields plenty of suspects, but the San Francisco police aren't taking any of them seriously. So Sophie does what comes naturally to her: she stirs up trouble (to lure the killer out, of course). Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate Sophie's relationship with the irresistible and occasionally insufferable Anatoly is on the rocks when a friend recruits Sophie to decode her allegedly two-timing husband's strange behavior. Suddenly plunged into a crazy world of campaign mudslinging, dirt-digging and cover-ups, Sophie begins to uncover some pretty dirty secrets indeed. Way in over her head as usual, Sophie reluctantly�or not-so-reluctantly�enlists the help of her two-time sidekick and ex, Anatoly. Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss Sophie is head over heels in love�with a three-bedroom San Francisco Victorian. She's just got to have it, despite a few drawbacks. Her slimy ex is the realtor, and her first tour of the house reveals, well, a lifeless body clutching a cameo with a disturbing history of its own. There's no way Sophie is going to give up the ghost on her dreams of stained glass and original woodwork, though�especially since Sophie is 99 percent sure her problems are caused by someone six feet tall instead of six feet under….

    King. Do not let the lack of light stop you from discovering more adventures and stories that will keep you up at night and ignite the imagination. There is no place to hide in, THE DARKNESS!

    A terrifying Halloween treat perfect for Stephen King fans... BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOONWhen Dylan O'Conner pulls into a motel, all he wants is sleep. But he soon finds himself bound, gagged and being injected with a mysterious fluid by a lunatic doctor, who claims Dylan will be the carrier of his 'life's work'. He warns Dylan and fellow victim Jillian that he's being pursued and that they too are now targets. They're sceptical. But soon they realise he isn't so mad after all. . .ONE DOOR AWAY FROM HEAVEN Leilani Maddoc's tenth birthday is nine months away. Micky Bellsong is convinced that in nine months and one day, the girl will be dead. Micky's decision to save the child's life - and pit herself against an adversary as fearsome as he is cunning - takes her on a journey of incredible peril and stunning discoveries, a journey that will change her for ever...SEIZE THE NIGHTOne by one, the children of Moonlight Bay are disappearing. No one knows if they are dead or alive. Christopher Snow has glimpsed the dark and torrid secrets of the small-town community where he has spent his life. And only he has the key to the truth - a truth that could only exist in the genetic chaos of Moonlight Bay.

    Brett.Eleven-year-old Arlen lives with his parents on their small farmstead, half a day's ride from the isolated hamlet of Tibbet's Brook.As dusk falls upon Arlen's world hungry corelings – demons that cannot be harmed by mortal weapons – materialize from the vapours to feed on the living.When Arlen's life is shattered by the demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path.In the small town of Cutter's Hollow, Leesha's perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge.Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night.Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival.This bundle collects the first three novels of The Demon Cycle, THE PAINTED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR and THE DAYLIGHT WAR, along with the novellas THE GREAT BAZAAR AND BRAYAN’S GOLD and MESSENGER’S LEGACY.

    Rast is just an ordinary human with no chance of setting her free…or is he? The truth is about to be Revealed Pursued: A warrior scarred both inside and out. A woman broken by her past. Can they make each other whole or will Elise run from her pain? If she does, Merrick cannot help but chase her. Elise is being Pursued. Exiled: A timid priestess turned Mistress... A proud warrior posing as her slave... Will their love blossom on the savage world where domination, submission, and kinky sex are the order of the day? Or will Lissa be Exiled from the one male she loves above all others?

    As a Houston prosecutor he sent sixteen men to death row, and watched seven of them die. But now, in the aftermath of his wife's death, the grief-stricken father packs up his four-year-old daughter, Annie, and returns to his hometown in search of healing. But peace is not what he finds there. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old money and older sins, where passion, power, and racial tensions seethe beneath its elegant façade. After twenty years away, Penn is stunned to find his own family trapped in a web of intrigue and danger. Determined to save his father from a ruthless blackmailer, Penn stumbles over a link to the town's darkest secret: the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of a black Korean War veteran. But what drives him to act is the revelation that this haunting mystery is inextricably bound up in his own past. Under a blaze of national media attention, Penn reopens the case, only to find local records destroyed, the FBI file sealed, and the town closing ranks against him.…Turning AngelTurning Angel marks the long-awaited return of Penn Cage, the lawyer hero of The Quiet Game, and introduces Drew Elliott, the highly respected doctor who saved Penn’s life in a hiking accident when they were boys. As two of the most prominent citizens of Natchez, Drew and Penn sit on the school board of their alma mater, St. Stephen’s Prep. When the nude body of a young female student is found near the Mississippi River, the entire community is shocked—but no one more than Penn, who discovers that his best friend was entangled in a passionate relationship with the girl and may be accused of her murder.The Devil’s PunchbowlAs a prosecutor in Houston, Penn Cage sent killers to death row. But as mayor of his hometown—Natchez, Mississippi—Penn will face his most dangerous threat. Urged by old friends to try to restore this fading jewel of the Old South, Penn has ridden into office on a tide of support for change. But in its quest for new jobs and fresh money, Natchez has turned to casino gambling, and now five steamboats float on the river beside the old slave market, like props from Gone With the Wind.

    Attorney Clay McCann admitted to slaughtering four campers in a back-country corner of Yellowstone National Park - a 'free-fire' zone with no residents or jurisdiction. In this remote fifty-square-mile stretch a man can literally get away with murder. Now McCann's a free man, and Pickett's about to discover his motive - one buried in Yellowstone's rugged terrain, and as dangerous as the man who wants to keep it hidden.Blood TrailGame wardens have found a man dead at a mountain camp-strung up, gutted, and flayed as if he were the elk he'd been hunting. Is the murder the work of a deranged anti-hunting activist or of a lone psychopath with a personal vendetta? Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is the man to track the murderer and stop him, before someone declares open season on humans...Below ZeroSix years ago, Joe Pickett's foster daughter, April, was murdered. Now, someone is leaving phone messages claiming to be the dead girl. As his family struggles with the disturbing event, he discovers that the calls have been placed from locations where serious environmental crimes have occurred. And as the phone calls grow closer, so does the danger...Nowhere to RunIt's Joe Pickett's last week as a temporary game warden in the mountain town of Baggs, Wyoming, but his conscience won't let him leave without checking out the strange reports coming from the wilderness: camps looted, tents slashed, elk butchered. What awaits him is like something out of an old campfire tale, except this story is all too real-and all too deadly.Cold WindA body hangs from a wind turbine, a bullet hole in his chest: Earl Alden, millionaire property developer. His wife, Missy, is the prime suspect. It wouldn't be a problem for Joe Pickett, if Missy weren't his mother-in-law. Missy claims she's innocent, and for his wife's sake, Joe would like to believe her... but all the early signs point to her being as guilty as sin. With his wife on one side and the law on the other, Joe needs to get to the truth before his family is ripped apart.Force of NatureYears ago Joe Pickett's best friend, Nate Romanowski, was in a Special Forces unit abroad when his commander, John Nemecek, did something terrible. Now the high-ranking government official and cold-blooded sociopath is determined to eliminate anyone who knows about it - like Nate, who's hidden himself away in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains. And he knows exactly how Nemecek will do it-by targeting Nate's friends to draw him out. That includes his friend, game warden Joe Pickett, and Pickett's entire family. The only way to fight back is outside the law. Nate knows he can do it, but he isn't sure about his straight-arrow friend. And all their lives could depend on it.

    This gargantuan helping of the human comedy relates how he is devoured by the masses of New York, a city boiling over with the itch to grab it now.

     A shocking discovery leads to nanny Everly and the baby being kidnapped by vampires. Can Prince Kian find them in time? And even if he does, will Everly accept the truth of who he is? Dax To make her his, he must earn her trust When Dax discovers Aria's secret, his graceless ways could ruin everything. Can a gentle songstress trust the brash warrior with not only her magic but her heart? And when it all seems lost, can Aria find her inner strength and discover the true extent of her power? Aiden To claim his mate, he'll have to come out of the shadows... When vampires arrive, Aiden can no longer conceal his dragon nature. He whisks Winnie away, but her rescue comes at a terrible price. Winnifred wants nothing to do with him! Will Aiden ever come out of hiding again? And if he does, can the self-sufficient painter admit she needs love, not only to the secretive warrior, but to herself? Cato To claim his mate, he'll have to be the hero she needs When Cato finally shows Penelope his dragon, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place for her. Cato and crew track down the vampires responsible for her sister's disappearance, but can they get there in time? And even if they do, will Penelope's twin ever be the same? Storm Harem What will she do with three dragon mates? A Lonely Woman... Real estate broker Krista Wilder has dedicated her life to her career. After a bad break up, she realises it's no longer enough! Three dragons, one mate... When the dragons of the House of Storms awaken, clever Yuki, diplomatic Akash, and warrior Ragnar are tasked with buying the crew a new home. After their first meeting with curvy Krista, they are each convinced she is the one for all of them! Who will win her heart? Before she can admit her growing affection, she is rudely awakened to the truth of her dragon mates and the vampire threat that lurks in the shadows... Even if Krista can accept her new reality, will it be possible to choose just one mate? Hanish To come together, they'll have to let go... An English Nanny... Prim and proper JoJo Morris needs a new position. As one of the world greatest nannies, she has plenty of options. But the sexy, American captain makes her an offer she can't refuse... A Dad in Need... Captain Hanish needs a nanny, but only the best will do. When the austere little woman arrives, he gets much more than he bargained for! A Perfect Match... Can a bossy nanny and a cocky captain work together. Or will their differences tear them apart? Raiden To find his mate, he'll have to believe the impossible! A Driven Scientist... For Flora Baptiste, nothing is more important than finding a vaccine against the vampires who kidnapped and changed her. She will stop at nothing until the problem is solved... A Disgruntled Gamer... Raiden might love video games, but that doesn't mean his captain approves. The roguish warrior is preparing for the war he knows will come. If only he could reconcile his attraction for is best friend! Game, Set, Match! Will Flora find the missing ingredient before vampires drive the human race to madness? And can Raiden claim the love he desires without the help of his inner beast? Zephyr To claim his mate, he’ll have to follow his heart... An Imprisoned Dragoness... Maia is the Dragoness Prime and the Duchess of the House of Tides. She has given everything for her people, but they all believe she is dead! A Struggling Scientist... Zephyr knows that human civilization has been irrevocably altered since the vampire kidnappings and murders. While preparing to deliver the vaccine, he is confronted by a woman he never believed he’d meet... An Inconclusive Match... Pushed to the brink by the vampires, humans, and his own inner dragon, Zephyr must make a choice between his heart and his head. Can this logical scientist follow his feelings, claim his mate, and save the world? Or will he let his rigid beliefs rob him of everything he's ever wanted?

    The killing of one of her best customers reminded her of the one thing -- they slaying of her own mother years earlier. Faced with a variety of suspects, Neeve plunges into the mystery of Lambston's death, determined to find the truth. But as she is drawn into a whirlwind of money and romance, she is also being stalked by a killer who's closer than she could ever dream . . .Weep No More, My LadyYoung Elizabeth Lange is haunted by the tragic death of her beloved sister, the legendary actress Leila LaSalle. Ted Winters, Leila's multi-millionaire fiance, has been accused of her murder -- and Elizabeth is slated to be the star witness for the prosecution. But before the trial begins, Elizabeth gets an invitation to unwind at a swank California spa. There is caught up in a torrent of confusing emotions and perplexing questions. Elizabeth must discover the truth -- and soon. Because someone is stalking her, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike . . .

    While you may read this in just twenty minutes, each little nugget is only the visible tip of an information iceberg.' In this free ebook sampler to accompany the new book 1,342 QI Facts To Leave You Flabbergasted, come face-to-face with some of the most mind-blowing facts in the QI universe, such as: The sun gets 4 million tons lighter every second; The first scientifically named dinosaur bone was called Scrotum humanum because it looked like a giant pair of human testicles; A 'batman' was a unit of weight in the Ottoman Empire. Ben Affleck weighs about nine batmans; Making all the chain mail for The Lord of the Rings wore the costume designers' fingerprints away.Enjoy the incredible world of QI facts.

    Can she give up searching for the one and reclaim the other? Or is she fated to repeat the mistakes her mother made?Jaynie Highsmith grows up in Cub Creek on Hope Road acutely aware of the irony of its name, Hope, because she wants nothing more than to escape from it and the chaos of her childhood.Desperate to leave her past behind and make a new life, she is determined to become the best version of herself she can create. But when she does take off, she also leaves ~ and forgets ~ important parts of her past and herself.The new life is everything she wants, or so she thinks until she finds herself repeating the same mistakes her mother made. Is Jaynie destined for unhappiness? Is it like mother, like daughter? Did running away only delay the unhappiness she fears she is destined for?Seventeen years after leaving home, Jaynie needs a new fresh start and returning to Cub Creek is critical, but she is determined that the visit will be as short as possible and then she'll be out and free again. However, a longer stay may be vital to her future because if she has any hope of changing her destiny, Jaynie must reconcile the past she turned her back on with her present.

     THE WOLF'S CAPTURE: It should have just been a simple vacation, away from everyone and everything to clear my head. But I soon realized I wasn’t alone. He stalked me, hunted me. I should’ve run faster, tried harder. But the truth was I liked him chasing me. Wolf was a ruthless man, his way of living barbaric. Now he had me in his off-the-grid cabin, what he deemed my new home. I was his new wife, would have his babies. I was his irrevocably. I shouldn’t have felt arousal. But I did. He’s not going to let me escape ... but then again, maybe I don’t want to. THE BEAR'S CAPTURE: The solitude had always been my companion and I accepted it, embraced it. Living on my own with the forest as my backyard had always been good enough for me. Until it no longer was. The quiet could be loud, the loneliness a burden. I was tired of being on my own. I wanted a wife, needed a woman to call my own. Who I wanted was Susie. She was sweet and kind, innocent and soft in all the right places. She made this caveman part of me rise up and take control. The things I wanted to do to her would probably frighten her, scare her away for good. I didn’t pretend to be a gentleman. I was brutal and savage in my way of living, but when I looked at her I felt something soften within me. It was time to man up and tell her what I wanted, that she was all I thought about, all I needed in my life. NOTE: Dive into two safe reads featuring over-the-top alpha heroes who will do whatever it takes to be with the women they love. Both stories are filled with happily ever afters and epilogue goodness. THESE ARE NOT PARANORMAL.

    A practising lawyer, Wade is forced to confront truths that challenge his most basic notions of justice and good.Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Ford County.