Book picks similar to
Bump in the Night by Rachel Haimowitz
anthology
m-m
horror
paranormal
Sand and Ruin and Gold
Alexis Hall - 2014
. . that’s how the old stories always begin.Once upon a time there was a king of a fallen kingdom. He was just and he was beloved. Or so the numbers said. One day, he gathered together the greatest, wisest minds in all the land—not sorcerers, but scientists—and he bade them fashion him a son. A prince. A perfect prince to embody his father’s legacy.The scientists each brought the prince a gift: beauty, strength, ambition, intellect, pride. But they must have forgotten something because when he saw the mermaids dance at the Cirque de la Mer, he ran away to join them.For a year, he trained them, performed with them, thought he was happy. For a year he thought he was free. But then Nerites came: A merman who refused to be tamed. A captive from another kingdom. A beast in a glass cage.The old stories always end with happy ever after. But this isn’t one of the old stories. This is a story of princes and monsters.
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Reifu Rising
Becca Abbott - 2010
It's about visitors to a new world, running from their enemies, inhabited by primitive humans living by strict religious rules. After an illegal human hunt Sid, a thief, is taken by the Crown Prince, Loki, as a pet. What ensues is a great adventure encompassing the vampires, the humans who live without technology and a secret group trying to rule over everyone. Loki was an ilthiyan prince, one of the vampire race who existed uneasily with the humans on the planet of Gaia. In the middle of a hunt on human lands, he captured a spirited young human male. Sid was a thief and an outcast, and to be captured by a vampire seemed only the latest misfortune in a life defined by them. But Loki decided to keep Sid instead of kill him and that decision would thrust them both into a whirlwind of treachery, intrigue -- and love.
The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings
Lily Morton - 2019
After suffering a loss and breaking up a long-term relationship, he’s looking for a change. When he receives the news he’s inherited a house in York, he seizes the opportunity to begin a new chapter in his life. However, when he gets there, he finds a house that has never kept its occupants for very long. Either through death or disinclination, no one stays there, and after a few days of living in the place, Levi can understand why. Strange noises can be heard at all hours of the day and night, and disturbing and scary things begin to happen to him. He never believed in ghosts before, but when events take a sinister turn, he knows he must look for help. He finds it in the unlikely form of the blue-haired leader of a ghost tour. Blue Billings is edgy, beautiful, and lost. Utterly lost. He conceals so many secrets that some days it’s a miracle he remembers his own name. He knows that he should ignore Levi because he threatens the tenuous grip Blue has on survival. But there’s something about the kind-eyed man that draws Blue to him. Something that demands he stay and fight for him when he would normally run in the opposite direction. As the two men investigate the shocking truth behind Levi’s house, they also discover a deep connection that defies the short length of time they’ve known each other. But when events escalate and his life is on the line, Levi has to wonder if it was wise to trust the Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings.
Glimpses: A Collection of Nightrunner Short Stories
Lynn Flewelling - 2010
Each story offers a new perspective on events readers have speculated about for years. For new readers, it offers an introduction to the characters Romantic Times calls "two of the most memorable heroes in fantasy." Professional and amateur art provided by Flewelling's fans accompany Glimpses' stories, as she honors the dedication and devotion her fans have given her over the years. "Glimpses is full of treasures like Lynn Flewelling's deceptively easy and addictive storytelling, her vivid and engaging characters, and the amazing and heartfelt illustrations. This book is a must have for fans of Lynn's Nightrunner books, and if you haven't started the series yet, then Glimpses will leave you eager to discover more about Seregil and Alec, their adventures and the unique and fantastical world that the pair inhabit." -Suzanne McLeod, Spellcrackers.com series "It's hard to imagine a lovelier gift to fans than this exquisite collection of gorgeously illustrated short stories. Flewelling indulges her loyal readers with these graceful glimpses 'between the lines' of the long-running and immensely popular Nightrunner series." -Josh Lanyon, Adrien English Mysteries and the Holmes & Moriarity Mysteries "An unmissable short story collection from Flewelling. Set in the Nightrunner universe Glimpses captures Flewelling's characters at formative moments in their various timelines. Some of the stories fill in details that I've been waiting on for years..." -T.A. Moore, The Even Series "Glimpses is a terrific collection, lovingly illustrated, a gift to all of us who love the Nightrunners. This rocks." -Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson Series
Immortality is the Suck
A.M. Riley - 2009
He's no stranger to bad nights; in fact, he's lived a lot of them. But he won't survive this one. First, a drug deal he's working goes south. Then his partner and sometimes sex partner Peter has to watch him bleed to death. But the kicker: he's not sure what's worse. Watching Peter cry over him or waking up undead.Peter's a good cop in love with a bad man. Or a bad vampire, now. Watching Adam die was the worst thing he could imagine. Until he woke up. Now their relationship's in crisis. Adam's in the middle of a vampire enclave at the center of Los Angeles motorcycle clubs and Peter just can't hack it.Adam thinks he's fine with that. He's a commitment-phobe. But he's about to discover, immortality is seriously the suck.
To Hate and To Hold
Dakota Rebel - 2009
And to be fair, he hates me right back. We do our best to avoid each other at all costs, except when we feel the overwhelming urge to kick each other’s asses.Which is exactly what happened one clichéd dark and stormy night. Fists flying, thunder rumbling, and lightning flashing were apparently the magic combination to set off a bonding curse someone had set on us.Now we’re stuck in closer proximity than either of us have ever wanted. The fighting is getting worse, but the bond is eager for that energy to change to something way hotter and a lot more dangerous.I don’t want to be anywhere near Ethan, and I don’t want to sleep with him, and I certainly don’t want to be married to him for the rest of eternity…do I?
Heat
Wolf Specter - 2015
Unlike the rest of his species, Dane has dedicated his life to caring for humans, looking out for them, fighting for them, protecting them — and never, ever letting them know what he really is.Wesley Byrne just broke up with his boyfriend, and he certainly isn’t looking for another. His twin brother, Ty, thinks a night out with some of the soldiers he serves with will be just what Wes needs to stop moping over a man who doesn’t deserve it.After four hundred years, the dragon inside Dane recognizes Wes as his destiny, but Dane doesn’t trust his dragon. He’s convinced that humans can’t survive a dragon’s heat, and if he gives in it will force him to break the vow he made the day he discovered his true nature — to never take a human life.But neither Dane nor Wes can resist the powerful pull of a fated mate, and each of them will get more than they bargained for when they finally come together.Heat: Fated Mates is a standalone novel with a HEA ending, a satisfying epilogue, and NO CLIFFHANGERS!Content Warning: This book is a steamy gay romance that contains explicit, unprotected love scenes and male pregnancy, or Mpreg. Adults only shifter romance!
Single White Incubus
E.J. Russell - 2018
That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win. Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.
Finding Finn
Kiki Burrelli - 2016
Luke thinks he's destined to be a lone wolf. But once they find each other, their lives will never be the same. Fresh out of the institution after a failed suicide attempt, Finn's ready to crawl back up and reclaim life. He'll stick to his plan, take the tests, kiss all the butts and get back into grad school. That’s all he thinks about until he meets his new roommate the older, intimidating Luke. Kicked out of his pack for being gay, alpha wolf Luke sees no way out of the solitary life he leads. That is, until he sees Finn, bent over the kitchen island, and the need to claim him, take him, becomes too much to bear. He'll do whatever it takes to bring Finn out of his shell and convince him they're mates. But Luke’s alpha essence begins to change Finn in ways he never could have imagined. While the possibility of starting a family fills him with pride, the fear of the unknown, of what it could do to Finn, fills him with dread. One thing Luke knows for sure--there is no going back, not after finding Finn.
Soulless
T. Baggins - 2013
Crippled by a riding accident and embittered by his injuries, he shuns the world, focusing on his laboratory and experiments. But when the sale of his country estate, Grantley, leads to an encounter with a vampire, Nicholas realizes there is more in heaven and earth than he ever dreamed possible.A Creature of DarknessAlthough three hundred years old, Bancroft Ulwin is young by supernatural standards. Enslaved by his cruel, deformed maker, Ban is forbidden from relations with mortal men unless it ends in death. But his liaison with Nicholas, expressly against his master’s wishes, soon expands beyond mere lust to something more.A Love PredestinedLong ago while still mortal, Ban met Serafino, the only true love of his life. When death separated them, Ban accepted his role as an enemy of human kind. But as he comes to suspect Nicholas is Serafino reincarnated, Ban begins to question everything he once believed. Including his own damnation.
Daring Fate
Megan Erickson - 2016
I wake up chained to the wall of a dark cell aware of two things: I failed my sister, and I smell my enemy.When I’m taken to meet Dare, the alpha of the Silver Tip pack, I’m sure I’m about to lose my throat. The last thing I expect is for the Alpha to recognize me as his fated mate. No way is he going to let me go now, and I still have to find a way to rescue my sister.As I plot my escape to save her, I find that if I leave, Dare could be killed by power-hungry members of his pack. And now he’s more to me than my fated mate—my heart is involved. With time ticking by on my sister’s life, I have to make a choice I never thought I’d face—my sister’s life or my mate’s? That’s if I can survive the undead shifters intent on killing me first...
In the Wreckage
Hailey Turner - 2017
For three years he’s been working for the Metahuman Defense Force and leading Alpha Team—all against the wishes of his family. The job requires his full dedication, so it’s no surprise Jamie doesn’t have time for a relationship. An enticing one-night stand with a gorgeous stranger is all it takes to show Jamie exactly what he’s been missing. When a mission to take down a terrorist cell brings that same stranger back into his world, Jamie’s life gets complicated.A soldier with secrets.Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan was only looking to relieve some stress after a long mission. He didn’t know the hot guy he picked up at a bar was the leader of the MDF’s top field team. When Kyle and his partner get seconded to Alpha Team to help fight a terrorist threat, he has to balance his desire for Jamie against his duty to keep his secrets safe. That gets harder and harder to do amidst regulations both are tempted to break.Two men trying to survive.Giving into passion could cost both their careers. Abiding by the rules will only result in heartache. An attack on MDF headquarters brings with it a choice Jamie and Kyle can’t escape—duty, or love?
The Soldati Prince
Charlie Cochet - 2015
On their journey they might discover why the priestess brought them together—if they can escape the demons and make it to her alive.First Edition published as The Soldati Prince in Charmed and Dangerous (anthology) by JCP Books LLC, 2015.
Marked
Joely Skye - 2007
Until he's forced to turn to Liam for protection. Alec Ryerson carries a scar over his heart and scars on his psyche, ugly reminders of a nightmare that still doesn't seem quite real. Even a year later, he stays inside on full-moon nights and avoids most people until he meets the strange and beautiful Liam. Liam feels an undeniable pull toward Alec. However Liam is a werewolf; Alec is a human who clearly has trepidations about a relationship. Then Liam discovers he is not the first werewolf Alec has encountered. Alec has been marked for death by the murderous "quad," a group of twisted werewolves who prey on humans. Now the quad's sights are set on recruiting Liam's eight-year-old brother into their murderous pack. Liam will do everything in his power to protect both his brother and Alec from the wolves, even if it means calling in favors and killing those with whom he once ran. Because Alec, like it or not, is Liam's chosen mate.
King of the Dark
Ariana Nash - 2020
"Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need." ~Prince Vasili CavilleWhen King Talos Caville surrendered the war to the elves, soldier Nikolas Yazdan vowed never to serve the royals again. He said the same to the prince who tried to buy his loyalty, and learned the Cavilles don’t take no for an answer. Whipped for his insolence, Nikolas is forced into slavery in a palace full of vicious, brutal royals. And Prince Vasili Caville is the worst of all. Malicious and cruel, the prince is more viper than man, and someone inside the palace wants him dead. Nikolas would kill the prince himself if not for one thing: Julian, the prince’s personal guard and Niko’s light in the dark. If Nikolas doesn’t submit to Prince Vasili and discover who is plotting against him, Julian will suffer. But there’s more wrong in the palace than just the prince. The king is on his deathbed, the ferocious elves are creeping closer to the great city of Loreen, and madness stalks the hallways. There’s poison in the Caville court, and if Nikolas doesn’t discover the real reason Prince Vasili tried to buy him with a bag of coin, the palace, the city, and everything he loves, will be lost forever. King of the Dark is the first book in the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers Prince’s Assassin series. A gay Game of Thrones with a hint of Witcher thrown in, there are triggers, including but not limited to: reference to past abuse, attempted rape, dubious consent, reference to incest, torture, drug use and PTSD. High heat sexual content. The Prince’s Assassin is for 18+ only.
Reading order:King of the DarkReign of DarknessCurse of the Dark PrinceThe Cottage (novella)