Now, in their third critically acclaimed collection of original fairy tales for adults, World Fantasy Award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling bring us twenty-one new stories by some of the top names in literature today. Joyce Carol Oates, Gahan Wilson, Gene Wolfe, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman -- these are but a few of the accomplished literary sorcerers who have gathered here to remold our timeless myths into more sensuous and disturbing forms. Like the fabled ruby slippers, there is powerful magic here. Rich witches in trendy resorts cast evil spells ... beautiful princesses age and wither in sleeping worlds ... terrible beasts reside beneath flawless skin.Dark, disturbing, delightful, each story was written expressly for this superb collection of distinctly grown-up fantasy -- a brilliant companion volume to Datlow and Windling's acclaimed anthologies, "Snow White, Blood Red and "Black Thorn, White Rose. The "Snow White, Blood Red" Collection #1. Snow White, Blood Red #2. Black Thorn, White Rose #3. Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears #4. Black Swan, White Raven #5. Silver Birch, Blood Moon #6. Black Heart, Ivory Bones

    And swear an oath that I, Lacie Wright, am a virgin.” Sheikh Rashid has a big problem. As next in line to rule his small but prosperous nation, he must do one more thing to satisfy the country’s archaic rules of succession: marry a virgin bride. But where is someone, even as charming and dashingly handsome as the Sheikh, supposed to find a virgin these days? Lacie knows she’s waited too long for a prince to spirit her away. Locked in a dead-end job, and with mounting medical bills, she hasn’t got time to find her perfect man, let alone lose her virginity to him. After an embarrassing chance encounter, however, Lacie’s secret is out, and Rashid makes her an offer: she will be his virgin bride, and he will get the throne. Trapped in a bind, Lacie agrees to the Sheikh’s sordid proposal. But with tensions mounting, will the two be able to keep things professional until their wedding night? This is a standalone sweet Sheikh romance novel from best-selling author Holly Rayner. It contains a guaranteed HEA, and a tale of romance that will capture your heart. As an added gift, it also includes the first few chapters of Holly Rayner’s prior novel The Sheikh’s Christmas Triplets, absolutely free!

     For five years, Cassie Reeser has been her brother’s personal lab rat. Peter’s experiments have made her a stronger, faster, better human. And she’s not the only one – he’s been experimenting on others as well. For five years, escape has eluded her. Until now. When she finds out he plans to sell her as a human weapon she knows it’s now or never. To make her escape she’ll sacrifice family bonds and leave behind the one person who’s ever helped her. Cassie’s learned to shrink from kindness and to never trust anyone. She knows the day Peter finally captures her will be the day she dies. To elude her brother and save the others, she’ll have to risk her body and her heart. What she doesn't expect is a chance at a normal life. Seth Adams is used to sifting through lies to find the truth. As a former war correspondent he knows what evils lurk in the world. When he finds Cassie hiding out in his car trunk, her story sounds like a fantastical dream. But, before long, he witnesses firsthand what she’s talking about when they’re attacked by a group of Peter’s soldiers. As a result, he goes through his own transformation into a super human and realizes the extent of what Cassie is running from. Cassie might not think she needs his protection, but he’ll die before he lets her brother have her back.

    Her fairy godmother comes to the rescue, but her help comes with conditions. As a fairy godmother, the only assistance she can offer deals with (you guessed it) fairy tales. To win a second chance at life, Leah must play out the tale of The Little Mermaid.Armed with a mermaid tail and nothing else (not even a voice!), she has one month to make a nobleman fall in love with her, or else she'll die permanently. But the nobleman she must seduce is a hard, fierce warlord who thinks she's a spy and the mistress of his enemy.Can she win him over before the thirty days are up? Or is she in danger of losing her heart as well as her life?

    After waiting five years for Garrick to notice her as more than his mother’s caregiver. The aggravating male might always have a place in her heart, but she’s determined to find someone who wants to build a family with her. She had no idea that writing a letter of resignation would bring Garrick back to the Wildlands. It will take a Christmas miracle to bring them together:Garrick can’t believe that Molly is willing to walk away. She’d not only become irreplaceable to his mother, but he’d become addicted to her letters when he was far away from home. He’d be damned if he was going to let her slip away. But once back in the Wildlands, Garrick is forced to choose between opening his heart to the female he loves or risk losing her forever.

    He finds the undeniably gifted Jordan Lane, but she’s wary of mysterious Rook and resists his pursuit as long as she can. When the dreamwaters they enter are too exhilarating to resist, their attraction explodes into passion. But delving too deep stirs a nightmare—one they must defeat together, or be forever lost to darkness. Fans of paranormal romance and bad boys, get ready for a dark, sexy plunge into fantasy and desire. The Reveler Series is set in a contemporary world in which people can indulge in Rêve, or shared dreaming—a pop culture phenomenon sweeping the world. Imagine being able to fall asleep at night, only to wake in a dream world, one in which you are lucid and in control—where you can be anything you want to be and do anything you like. But you must be careful…dreaming can be as dangerous as it is seductive.

    Her abusive ex, a human, is closing in on her again, and to make matters worse, a new enemy, a djinn, is stalking her. This supernatural being takes great pleasure in human pain, something Bailey has in excess thanks to her ex. If she’s caught by either, she’s as good as dead!Backed into a corner and desperate to escape, she does something she swore wouldn’t ever be possible again - trusting a man. And he’s a vampire!Protection via the sexy vampire Erick Thorson may prove to be a little more than she bargained for. Sparks fly between them and she finds herself agreeing to more than just protection. Though he has promised not to let anyone harm her, the small west Texas town is more than it seems and he may not be able to make good on his vow no matter how hard he tries! Will Sanctuary be the home Bailey longs for or will she have to die to find out?

    While some couples use the time to relax with breakfast in bed, others head out for small, intimate adventures in the desert Southwest. A few are still busy stuffing stockings and wrapping presents for little Teddy, the youngest member of the growing new clan. But Teddy won’t be the only Blue Moon baby for long, because Santa has a very special surprise in store — not just for the extended Blue Moon family, but for the wolves of Twin Moon Ranch, too! Behind the doors of the Blue Moon Saloon, alpha shifters confront their darkest fears and their deepest desires. This cheery holiday story is for fans of the Blue Moon Saloon series. It assumes familiarity with the characters of DAMNATION, TEMPTATION, REDEMPTION, and SALVATION. * A SHORT STORY paranormal romance with adult content. The perfect read for fans of strong heroines, alpha heroes, werewolves and shapeshifters, red-hot cowboys, romantic westerns, paranormal suspense, action-adventure romance, and fantasy romance! *

    Other than his loyal Great Pyrenees, there's no one around to break up the monotony. The tedium is excruciating, but it is suddenly interrupted when a young woman stumbles up his path. He has two choices - pick her off from a distance with his trusty sniper-rifle, or dare let her approach his cabin and enter his life.Why not? It's been ages, and he is otherwise alone...

    Part angel, all Primani, he's a ruthless protector with unusual talents. Jaded by the weakness of humans, he takes a hands-off approach to his charges. His job's to protect her. That's all. But Mica's got other ideas. He's strong, but she's stronger. Will his one moment of weakness destroy them both?Mica doesn’t believe in quaint notions of fate and destiny. She’s a live-in-the-moment kind of girl until she’s attacked and left for dead. When Sean and his friends appear out of thin air to rescue her, Mica knows there’s more to them than they’re saying. Secrets and lies pile up but she can’t walk away from him.As the clock ticks, Mica is drawn deeper into the Primani world until there’s no way out.Tick-tock. Time is running out. What happens when it does?

    But Jake grew up with foster parents in Los Angeles, never knowing his true destiny until he ran away from his unhappy foster home, to the place of his birth--Woodland--a small town nestled deep in a Northwestern forest. In Woodland, Jake discovers that the famous fairy tales are all real, and they are happening today. And Jake, as the last living Grimm, is the only one who can stop the witches, big bad wolves, and evil stepmothers who are all alive and well, and about to wreak havoc in the small town of Woodland, following the death of Jake's great-uncle Eustace.But these fairy tales creatures are not like those in the old stories. Woodland is a modern place, and the creatures Jake battles seem like completely normal, modern people--to everyone but Jake. Only Jake can see them for what they really are, and, together with his friend and apprentice, Madeleine, he must fight to prevent the evil that is all around the unsuspecting teens at Woodland High. (from the product page at Amazon.com)

    Earth's government falsely convicted me of a crime, packed me on a ship with other female felons, and sent us to Dakon, a primitive, frozen wasteland of a planet. But I'm no barbarian’s 'mail order bride,' even if he is super tall, muscular, and the chief of his tribe. He doesn’t want a BBW blonde, either--it's written all over his chiseled face. He'll be truly angry if he ever learns what my 'crime' was. I am Torg. I have waited 34 rotations for a mate of my own. With this shipment, I was sure to get a fine, sturdy mate who'll bear me many daughters. Instead, I receive a small, curvy, pale-haired female who looks at me with anger and fear. It is only when we 'kiss' that I believe things may work out between us. But I'm hearing rumors that Starr and her shipmates are law-breakers. To survive, Dakonians must obey all laws … or be exiled into the frozen wasteland. Just when I have found my mate, will I have to banish her?

    Give yourself to him in return for protection. It’s the only way you’ll ever survive. Convicted of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to a prison planet—a dark primitive hold filled with convicts vying for power. Her only chance of survival is with Cain, a mysterious loner who has won his territory in the prison through intelligence and brute strength. Sex is all she has to offer, so she uses it. She’s under no delusions here. No one is ever released, and no one ever escapes. Survival is all she can hope for—until Cain. An earlier version of this book was published under the same title and a different penname by Ellora’s Cave. It has since been substantially revised and expanded.

    Usually reclusive, Megan flirts with the leading man of her sexual fantasies. He invites her to his suite for a drink, but when she arrives, his rancher brother Trey opens the door and unleashes Megan's cowboy fantasy. Both men pour on the charm, and she can't decide which of them she desires more.The McGatlin brothers have shared women, but none of them were like Megan, irresistible and perfect for both of them. Working together, they execute a potent seduction. During a hot, amazing week, the three-way relationship becomes emotionally charged. When they're thrown into the media spotlight, Megan fears the exposure will trigger a past threat. Garrett and Trey need to prove they can keep Megan safe as well as happy and satisfied in their arms.

     Buy Once Upon a Happy Ending to start the timeless anthology today! Note:The current available edition only contains 13 Stories from 14 different authors.