Lavery comes a collection of darkly mischievous stories based on classic fairy tales. Adapted from his beloved "Children's Stories Made Horrific" series, The Merry Spinster takes up the trademark wit that endeared Lavery to readers of both The Toast and his best-selling debut Texts from Jane Eyre. The feature become among the most popular on the site, with each entry bringing in tens of thousands of views, as the stories proved a perfect vehicle for Lavery’s eye for deconstruction and destabilization. Sinister and inviting, familiar and alien all at the same time, The Merry Spinster updates traditional children's stories and fairy tales with elements of psychological horror, emotional clarity, and a keen sense of feminist mischief.Readers of The Toast will instantly recognize Lavery's boisterous good humor and uber-nerd swagger: those new to Lavery's oeuvre will delight in his unique spin on fiction, where something a bit mischievous and unsettling is always at work just beneath the surface.Unfalteringly faithful to its beloved source material, The Merry Spinster also illuminates the unsuspected, and frequently, alarming emotional complexities at play in the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, as we tuck ourselves in for the night.Bedtime will never be the same.The daughter cells --The thankless child --Fear not: an incident log --The six boy-coffins --The rabbit --The merry spinster --The wedding party --Some of us had been threatening our friend Mr.Toad --Cast your bread upon the waters --The frog's princess --Good fences make good neighbors

    The "Monsters of Magic" is a collection of short stories exploring the strengths and weakness of the creatures that inhabit the Magic: The Gathering world. The monsters highlighted are drawn not only from Magic card sets, but from the novels as well, giving any reader broader exposure to the entire Magic world. Contents"Who is Queen?" by Scott McGough"Ach! Hans, Run!" by Will McDermott"The Reluctant Student" by Tim Ryan"Unlikely Allies and Unjust Desserts" by Brian M. Thomsen"Ereth the Mighty" by A.L. Lassieur"True Enough" by Denise R. Graham"Seasons of Slaughter" by Vance Moore"An Atog Comes to Aphetto" by Steven E. Schend"Delraich" by Jess Lebow"Tap, Kraken & Pop" by Tom Dupree"Crucible" by Stephen D. Sullivan"The Voice of Command" by Paul B. Thompson

    This inaugural volume showcases the best North American fantasy short fiction from the preceding year.Hard truth about waste management / Sumanth Prabhaker --Stolen father / Eric Roe --Saffron gatherer / Elizabeth Hand --Whipping / Julia Elliott --Better angel / Chris Adrian --Draco Campestris / Sarah Monette --Geese / Daniel Courdriet --Chinese boy / Ann Stapleton --Flying woman / Meghan McCarron --First kisses from beyond the grave / Nik Houser --Song of the selkie / Gina Ochsner --Troop [sic] of baboons / Tyler Smith --Pieces of Scheherazade / Nicole Kornher-Stace --Origin story / Kelly Link --Experiment in governance / E.M. Schorb --Next corpse collector / Ramola D --Village of Ardakmoktan / Nicole Derr --Man who married a tree / Tony D'Souza --Fable with slips of white paper ... / Kevin Brockmeier --Pregnant / Catherine Zeidler --Warehouse of saints / Robin Hemley --Ledge / Austin Bunn --Lazy taekos / Geoffrey A. Landis --For the love of Paul Bunyan / Fritz Swanson --Accounting / Brian Evenson --Abraham Loncoln has been shot / Daniel Alarcon --Bit forgive / Maile Chapman --End of narrative (1-29; or 29-1) / Peter LaSalle --Kiss / Melora Wolff

    This collection contains three unconnected short stories.The Devil You Know - 10,341 words - a Nona story that sits between Red Sister and Grey Sister - an extension of Red Sister.The Hero of Aral Pass - 4,493 words - a Jalan story that sits after The Red Queen's War trilogy.A Thousand Years - 9,321 words - a Snorri story that occurs before The Red Queen's War trilogy.

    But the party isn’t all glamor. Villains lurk in dark corners, evil deals are struck, and starcrossed loves are born.FAIRY TALES INCLUDED:The Ugly Duckling by CJ RobertsBeauty and the Beast by Willow WintersCinderella by Aleatha RomigLittle Red Riding Hood by Karina HalleJack & the Beanstalk by Marley ValentineSnow White by T.M. FrazierRumplestiltskin by Celia AaronKing Midas by Skye WarrenKing Thrushbeard by Cora ReillyPrincess and the Pea by Sierra SimoneSwan Princess by Natasha KnightAttend the ball, wear a red cloak, lose your shoe, spin straw to gold, or fall prey to a witch. In these fairytale retellings from bestselling authors, you will find a prince, but you might choose your happily ever after with the beast.DARK FAIRY TALES is a limited-time anthology of modern fairy tales containing all NEW novellas. Download your copy and tell a book-loving friend, because it won't last long.

    It is our hope that in this anthology you will find a story to love. We come from as varied backgrounds as we do locations. Hawaii to New York, California to Texas, and Texas to Tennessee; we have come together to share our love of storytelling. The characters within these pages are a wondrous mix as well. A flamboyant Knoxville designer, a 1900s investigative reporter, a neurosurgeon, a coroner, a woman dripping of Russian opulence and Parisian elegance, a detective that has simply had enough, and a Tennessee Police Chief all fill the pages and the imagination in Death of Choice. Come along with us to a Children’s Cemetery, 1920’s London, a daisy fresh diner in L.A., a fog shrouded barn, a small town in Tennessee, a Honolulu beach, and meet a collection of short stories from writers that will give you chills, thrills, and a set of tales you will long remember. Our hope is through these intriguing introductions you will discover an author or two you will want to read more of, and get to know better. Each of the authors in this anthology have many more books for you to enjoy. So find that spot where you love to curl up and read, and enjoy this collection of murder, mayhem and mystery. Micheal Maxwell Editor and Compiler September 2015

    “Ethshar” is the invented world that has been the setting for almost a dozen novels from the pen of Lawrence Watt-Evans. Its inhabitants don’t call it that; they call it “the World.” For readers, though, that’s not specific enough. The dominant nation on the World is the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars, while the largest, richest city, where most of the stories are set, is Ethshar of the Spices, so “Ethshar” is close enough. The name itself comes from words meaning “safe harbor.” You don’t need to have read any of the novels to enjoy the stories herein; each one should stand alone. And if you've read the novels, you will enjoy this return to the world of Ethshar with 11 stories... This is the first time they have all been collected in one book!

    From Roger Zelansky's delightful tale of Death's disobedient godson to Peter Straub's blood-chilling examination of a gargantuan Cinderella and her terrible twisted "art," here are stories strange and miraculous -- remarkable modern storytelling that remold our most cherished childhood fables into things sexier, more sinister... and more appealing to grown-up tastes and sensibilities. 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

    Smoking hot, game warden, Wyatt McCloud isn’t a homicide detective, but that’s exactly what he has to be when a shifter turns up dead in the forest he patrols... Bearly Believing (Bear Wardens #2) An infuriatingly sexy man... When research scientist and ardent environmentalist Summer Madison finds a dead grizzly in the forest, she's certain a nearby copper mine is to blame. Game warden Chance Baker isn't convinced, however. Summer's sure she can make him see reason... if he'll just stop melting her circuits for two seconds! His To Bear (Bear Wardens #3) A grieving grizzly... Bear shifter Brody Oberon is stunned to find his best friend near death, the victim of foul play. Filled with rage, the last thing Brody expects is to meet his fated mate at the hospital. The curvy doctor is everything he's ever wanted... at the worst possible time! Unbearably Stranded (Mystic Harbor #1) In her quest to find the last ingredient to her summoning spell, Vivian meets Laurence, the broody grizzly bear fisherman. Laurence has no interest in helping a witch with her magic, but Vivian convinces him to take her out to a small island out at sea. Caught in a magical storm, Vivian and Laurence are shipwrecked. Coming together to survive in spite of their differences, Laurence and Vivian heat up the cold nights while stranded on the island! Her Two Alphas (Mystic Harbor #2) Curvy Lucy Zimmer is having trouble at the office. Her boss can't seem to keep his hands off. Confused and frightened, Lucy decides to take a day trip to the coast to clear her head. While hiking an unfamiliar trail, she gets lost. Just when she thinks she'll be eaten by wolves, two gorgeous men walk out from between the trees! Cat Scratch Fever (Mystic Harbor #3) After curvy magazine editor Makayla Phillips is run off an icy road, she is caught in the snow storm of the century. With a head wound and a badly sprained ankle, Makayla is lucky that mountain man Ronan Harding found her. They are from worlds so far apart, being together is impossible. Will they meet in the middle or will they lose what they want most? His Lion Blood (Mystic Harbor #4) When curvy hafling vampire, Isabella Amador, saunters into mountain lion shifter Ashton Harding's tattoo shop, he can't get enough of her sexy scent. Unfortunately, there's a taboo against fraternizing with vampires, making Isabella strictly off limits! Dragon Princes Of Endor; Complete Collection; Parts #1 To #4 (Dragon Princes Of Endor #1) After leaving everything behind, Dani Storm takes to the road in an RV. When she steps into a cave, deep in the forest, her life is changed forever. Conyac and Trav are dragon shifter princes with a problem. There are no female dragons left in their world. Without a queen, neither can become king! Bear His Love (Midnight Sun Shifters #1) In the wilds of Alaska, anything is possible. Even happily ever after. Ginger Allen has come to Alaska to scatter her father’s ashes - and follow a treasure map he drew for her on his deathbed. First, though, she has to hire an experienced backcountry guide to take her to her father’s remote property... Bear His Baby (Midnight Sun Shifters #2) Ella May is coming home to Juneau for the first time in a year and a half. With a baby in tow and running for her life, pride is not an option. When Tate’s fated mate left him a year and a half ago, he didn’t believe he’d ever recover. Maybe it had been a mistake to keep the truth from her for so long, but he’d only been trying to protect her! Warrior Witch And Raven (West Coast Witches #1) Everyone has a talent. Mine is death. I'm Olivia Fanning. It's been five years since I got my father killed. My family hates me. And Raven? I can't even think about facing him again! Spirit Moon; Complete Collection; Parts #1 To #3 (Spirit Moon #1) Jane is a recent college grad with a strange gift- she sees things in her dreams. After she wakes up from a dream of her boyfriend cheating, she realises she's in need of a change...

    In just a few weeks it will be Legacy Day when they will sign the Storybook of Legends and commit to live out their fairy-tale destiny, repeating the famous stories of their parents.This volume collects together for the first time 12 short tales, including five BRAND-NEW stories. For the first time, find out what Dexter and Darling Charming, Cedar Wood, Lizzie Hearts and Kitty Cheshire were doing just before school started. This collection also includes the stories of Apple White, Raven Queen, Madeline Hatter, Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella and Hunter Huntsman, and the fairy tale The Tale of Two Sisters, which were previously only available online.Don't miss this Once Upon a Time special edition of enchanting stories by bestselling and Newbery honor-winning author Shannon Hale.

    Fall in love with shapeshifters in the autumn!While the air turns colder, the leaves start to fall, and the world prepares for winter, these shifters are busy finding their mates and falling in love.More than 20 amazing shapeshifter stories from the hottest New York Times, USA Today, and bestselling authors to keep you warm this fall!Fans of Lisa Ladew, Dannika Dark, Milly Taiden, and Terry Bolryder will adore these paranormal and fantasy tales of what shifters do when it gets a little chilly outside.

    The interviews that follow have echoes of another, far more famous literary journey, undertaken long ago and in another world.Drawing on the original, unexpurgated tales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, six of their most famous works are re-imagined in the rich and endlessly varied landscapes of contemporary America.From the glass towers of Manhattan to the remoteness of the Blue Ridge mountains; from the swamps of Louisiana to the jaded glamour of Hollywood, New World Fairy Tales reclaims the fairy tale for the modern adult audience. A haunting blend of romance and realism, these stripped-back narratives of human experience are the perfect read for anyone who has read their child a bedtime fairy story, and wondered who ever said these were stories meant for children.

    Full of dreams and nightmares, Honeycomb is an entrancing mosaic novel of original fairy tales from bestselling author Joanne M. Harris and legendary artist Charles Vess in a collaboration that’s been years in the making. The toymaker who wants to create the perfect wife; the princess whose heart is won by words, not actions; the tiny dog whose confidence far outweighs his size; and the sinister Lacewing King who rules over the Silken Folk. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful creatures who populate Joanne Harris’s first collection of fairy tales.Dark, gripping, and brilliantly imaginative, these magical tales will soon have you in their thrall in a uniquely illustrative edition.

    From Rob Thurman, the New York Times bestselling author of the Cal Leandros, comes this wicked, mind-bending short story—from the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology.

    This deliciously exclusive event has tongues wagging even amongst the who's who of the monster community. It will once again be held at an undisclosed location on All Hallows Eve.Don't worry all you underprivileged socialites, The Monster Ball isn't just for vampires, witches, and werewolves. Other creatures of the night have as much of a chance to attend. Watch for your ticket but not in the mail. The silvery slip of parchment is said to appear in your hand by the light of the moon.If you find yourself a fortunate recipient best to keep it to yourself. There are some who would kill for the chance to attend. Because as every good monster knows... what happens at the ball, stays at the ball.xoxo, ElviraFans of dark fantasy, paranormal intrigue, and romance will devour this story.Year 3 includes an all-new location & theme, new bartenders, and even a few familiar faces! Don't wait! 1-click now and be sure to reserve your "ticket" to the ball!