Spirited drops this October, with all proceeds to be donated to 826 National. 826 offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because they believe that "strong writing skills are fundamental to future success." The authors featured in the anthology, from best-sellers to wickedly talented debuts, will participate in a chilling blog tour that's guaranteed to raise your goosebumps.

    E. Murphy—are paired together in ten original stories featuring their favorite series characters.Urban Allies brings together beloved characters from two different urban fantasy series—Peter Octavian and Dahlia Lynley-Chivers, Joanne Walker and Harper Blaine, Joe Ledger and Agent Franks, Sabina Kane and Ava—in ten electrifying stories. Combining fictional worlds in one dual adventure, each of these stories melds the talents of two high-profile authors, many working together for the first time—giving readers a chance to see their favorite characters in an imaginative and fresh way. Edited by acclaimed bestselling author Joseph Nassise—who is also a contributor—this outstanding collection showcases the brilliant storytelling talents of some of the most acclaimed fantasy writers working today, among them seven New York Times bestselling authors, two USA Today bestselling authors, and multiple Bram Stoker Award winners. Contributors include: Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden • Carrie Vaughn and Diana Rowland • Jonathan Maberry and Larry Correia • Kelley Armstrong and Seanan McGuire • Joe Nassise and Sam Witt • Steven Savile and Craig Schaefer • David Wellington and Weston Ochse • Stephen Blackmoore and Jeff Somers • Catie Murphy and Kat Richardson • Jaye Wells and Caitlin Kittredge

    Catherynne M. Valente, the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and other acclaimed novels, now brings readers a treasure trove of stories and poems in The Bread We Eat in Dreams.In the Locus Award-winning novelette “White Lines on a Green Field,” an old story plays out against a high school backdrop as Coyote is quarterback and king for a season. A girl named Mallow embarks on an adventure of memorable and magical politicks in “The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While.” The award-winning, tour de force novella “Silently and Very Fast” is an ancient epic set in a far-flung future, the intimate autobiography of an evolving A.I. And in the title story, the history of a New England town and that of an outcast demon are irrevocably linked.The thirty-five pieces collected here explore an extraordinary breadth of styles and genres, as Valente presents readers with something fresh and evocative on every page. From noir to Native American myth, from folklore to the final frontier, each tale showcases Valente’s eloquence and originality.Table of Contents:The ConsultantWhite Lines on a Green FieldThe Bread We Eat in DreamsThe Melancholy of MechagirlA Voice Like a HoleThe Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little WhileHow to Raise a MinotaurThe Shoot-out at Burnt Corn Ranch Over the Bride of the WorldMouse KoanThe Blueberry Queen of Wiscasset In the Future When All’s WellFade to WhiteAeromausRed EnginesThe Wolves of BrooklynOne Breath, One StrokeKallistiThe WeddingThe Secret of Being a CowboyTwenty-Five Facts About Santa ClausWe Without Us Were ShadowsThe Red GirlAquaman and the Duality of Self/Other, America, 1985The RoomSilently and Very FastWhat the Dragon Said: A Love Story

     The whistle of the eastbound train. The heat of the desert sun. The western is the quintessential American literary genre, and now we're turning it on its head. From sentient tumbleweeds to time-traveling schoolmarms, desert demons to werejaguars, space-faring herd drivers to gunslinger justice, there's something for everyone. Featuring many of the best writers in speculative fiction today, saddle up for the thrills – we're going to take you on a wild ride through a West that never was. Lawless Lands includes 20 mind-bending weird western stories including - Desert Gods by Aubrey Campbell Railroad by Matthew J. Hockey Pixie Season by Seanan McGuire The Men with No Faces by Alexandra Christian Lost Words by David B. Coe Boots of Clay by Laura Anne Gilman Trickster's Choice by Jo Gerrard Wolves Howling in the Night by Faith Hunter To Hear a Howling a Howling Herd by Gunnar De Winter Calliope Stark:Bone Tree Bounty Hunter by Edmund R. Schubert Cards and Steel Hearts by Pamela Jeffs Bloodsilver by A. E. Decker Volunteered by B. S. Donovan The Stranger in the Glass by Dave Beynon Belly Speaker by Nicole Givens Kurtz Walk the Dinosaur by John G. Hartness The Time Traveling Schoolmarms of Marlborough County by Barb Hendee Rainmaker by Margaret S. McGraw Out of Luck by Jeffrel Hall Rollin' Death by Jake Bible Featuring twenty original western short stories from new worlds and the familiar worlds of Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock novels, Laura Anne Gilman's The Devil's West series, and John G. Hartness' Bubba the Monster Hunter series, Lawless Lands is a weird western anthology with something for everyone.

    This anthology is filled with tales of not-so-happy Christmases, tales that they don’t want to tell you about in the movies or songs. It’s time to break out your new Christmas slippers, rip open a box of chocolates and pour yourself a drink. Lock your doors and get comfy. You’re in for one helluva ride. Merry Christmas from all of us! Contains stories by: Amy Cross, Michael A. Arnzen, Christina Bergling, Andrew Lennon, J.C. Michael, Lisa Morton, Mike Duke, C.S. Anderson, Mark Cassell, Peter Oliver Wonder, Suzanne Fox, Matthew Brockmeyer, James Matthew Buyers, Weston Kincade, Matt Hickman, P. Mattern, Mark Fleming, Veronica Smith, Steven Stacy, Chris Motz & Sara Tantlinger.

    A group of storytellers banded together to chronicle the tsunami of evil that ensued. Their scribblings depicted events so horrific, the manuscript was hidden away.Now, dear reader, you seem to have stumbled upon it.And you have opened it.You must reap what you have sown.Come, step into the pages. See firsthand what hell is capable of.Of course, just know, you won’t last long enough to scream.

    She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.Three short lines, fired over social media in response to questions of why Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the floor of the United States Senate, for daring to read aloud the words of Coretta Scott King. As this message was transmitted across the globe, it has become a galvanizing cry for people of all genders in recognition of the struggles that women have faced throughout history.Three short lines, which read as if they are the opening passage to an epic and ageless tale.We have assembled this flash fiction collection featuring several of the best writers in SF/F today, including Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Jo Walton, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherynne M. Valente, Brooke Bolander, Alyssa Wong, Kameron Hurley, Nisi Shawl and Carrie Vaughn. Together these authors share unique visions of women inventing, playing, loving, surviving, and – of course – dreaming of themselves beyond their circumstances.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    At their enthusiastic behest, we have delivered this brand-new short story collection, including stories previously exclusive to Sherrilyn’s website, as well as an all-new, never-before seen story!Sherrilyn Kenyon takes readers from the Dark-Hunters to the demigods, from Dream-Hunters to demons, and everything in between. Dangerous and exciting, each story is one thrill ride after the next, proving time and again how Sherrilyn has captivated millions of readers worldwide. Now, readers are invited to go deep into Kenyon’s rich and imaginative world and experience the heart-racing moments that never stop coming!Included novellas:House of the Rising Son Phantom Lover (V’Aidan) Winter Born (Dante) A Dark-Hunter Christmas (Gallagher) Until Death We Do Part (Velkan) A Hard Day’s Night Searcher (Rafael) Shadow of the Moon (Fury) Fear the Darkness Where Angels Fear to Tread (Zeke) Love Bytes Santa Wears Spurs Redemption (bonus scene from The Guardian)

    WeinO for a Fiery Gloom and Thee • (1998) • short story by Brian StablefordPersephone or, Why the Winters Seem to Be Getting Longer • (1998) • short fiction by Wendy FroudPrivate Words • (1998) • novelette by Mark W. TiedemannTaking Loup • (1998) • short story by Bruce GlasscoTastings • (1998) • short story by Neil GaimanThe Eye of the Storm • (1998) • novelette by Kelley EskridgeThe Faerie Cony-Catcher • (1998) • short story by Delia ShermanThe House of Nine Doors • (1998) • short story by Ellen KushnerThe Light That Passes Through You • (1998) • short story by Conrad WilliamsThe Sweet of Bitter Bark and Burning Clove • (1998) • novelette by Doris EganWolfed • (1998) • short story by Tanith Lee

    Keating the vampire used to love the stories that humans would write about his species. They had endlessly amused him.Madeline De Martine had changed all that though. From terrifying, bloodthirsty creatures of the night... to maudlin, effeminate idiots obsessed with adolescent American girls, De Martine's blockbuster romances had irrevocably ruined the image of the vampire as far as Keating was concerned.So tonight he's paying the multi-millionaire writer a visit to offer some constructive feedback, and show her the error of her ways... Dogs Of War Giving interactive gameplay a whole new meaning. Disaster... Epic. Huge. Unmitigated. Disaster. Zack Hampton's beloved Gamestation console has just committed electronic suicide - right in the middle of a hectic multiplayer Dogs Of War game.Where the hell is he supposed to find another one the week before Christmas? All the shops have sold out! Imagine Zack's delight when he stumbles on a quaint Christmas shop, run by the enigmatic Mister Fix... and discovers a unique 'special edition' Gamestation on sale for a bargain price. Following a very strange conversation with the old shopkeeper, Zack buys the console and rushes home to rejoin the online mayhem as quickly as possible. This Gamestation is very special though, and Zack is about to take part in a game of Dogs Of War he is never going to forget. I, Zombie A story of the thinking dead. 'My name is Jim Monroe and I am a zombie. My natural life on this planet has ceased and I've been re-animated to stalk the world as a pale, grotesque imitation of my former self. I'm different from my undead brethren though... I'm a zombie with a brain. This is the short, shocking story of how I came to be this way.'Spine Slaughter When hedgehogs attack! On a warm summer's day, the village of Wincing On Thames is attacked by the most unlikely of blood thirsty monsters.Hoards of deadly hedgehogs are on the loose, with a taste for human flesh. Can hockey stick wielding Jason, Scab the punk and their friends survive the onslaught? And what turned these normally placid little animals into creatures from the darkest of nightmares?

    It's a place where pioneers rewrite their future, or end their days…for better or worse. In the spirit of Bret Maverick, Cat Ballou, Kwai Chang Caine, and James West, The Weird Wild West blends western grit with the magical and mysterious unknown that waits beyond the next horizon.With thrilling stories by Jonathan Maberry, Gail Z. Martin, John Hartness, RS Belcher, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Misty Massey, James R. Tuck, Robert E. Waters, David Sherman, Tonia Brown and many more, you've hit the Mother Lode!“Abishag Mary” by Frances Rowat. © 2015 Frances Rowat.“Blood Tellings” by Wendy N. Wagner. © 2015 Wendy N. Wagner.“Ruin Creek” by Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin. © 2015 Gail Z. Martinand Larry N. Martin.“Via Con Diablo” by Bryan C. P. Steele. © 2015 Bryan C. P. Steele.“Rattler” by R. S. (Rod) Belcher. © 2015 R. S. (Rod) Belcher.“Rocky Rolls Gold” by David Sherman. © 2015 David Sherman.“Son of the Devil” by Jonathan Maberry. © 2015 Jonathan Maberry.“Mungo Snead’s Last Stand” by Robert E. Waters. © 2015 Robert E. Waters.“Frank and Earnest” by Tonia Brown. © 2015 Tonia Brown.“From Parts Unknown” by James R. Tuck. © 2015 James R. Tuck.“Sundown” by Liz Colter. © 2015 Liz Colter.“Fifteen Seconds” by Scott C. Hungerford. © 2015 Scott C. Hungerford.“Redemption Song” by John Hartness. © 2015 John Hartness.“Grasping Rainbows” by Diana Pharaoh Francis. © 2015 Diana Pharaoh Francis.“The Faery Wrangler” by Misty Massey. © 2015 Misty Massey.“Haven” by Ken Schrader. © 2015 Ken Schrader.“Eighteen Sixty” by Faith Hunter. © 2015 Faith Hunter.

    Whether through the falsified historical record of the uniquely weird Swedish creature known as the “Pyret” or the title story, “Jagannath,” about a biological ark in the far future, Tidbeck’s unique imagination will enthrall, amuse, and unsettle you. How else to describe a collection that includes “Cloudberry Jam,” a story that opens with the line “I made you in a tin can”? Marvels, quirky character studies, and outright surreal monstrosities await you in what is likely to be one of the most talked-about short story collections of the year.Tidbeck is a rising star in her native country, having published a collection there in Swedish, won a prestigious literary grant, and just sold her first novel to Sweden’s largest publisher. A graduate of the iconic Clarion Writer’s Workshop at the University of California, San Diego, in 2010, her publication history includes Weird Tales, Shimmer Magazine, Unstuck Annual and the anthology Odd.

    These days, women are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be).In this all-new anthology, Kerrie L. Hughes and New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine have collected original stories from thirteen of today’s most exciting urban fantasy and paranormal authors. Each story features a strong heroine who kicks butt and takes names in a dangerous world and makes that world a better place for everyone in it—except the bad guys, of course. And if she finds a bit of romance along the way, well, a little heat warms the heart and sharpens the mind…just as long as the man can keep up. Includes: Shiny by Rachel CaineIn Venito Veras by Karen ChanceHunt by Rachel VincentMonsters by Lilith SaintcrowVampires Prefer Blondes by P.N. ElrodNine-Tenths of the Law by Jenna BlackDouble Dead by Cheyenne McCrayA Rose by Any Other Name Would Still be Red by Elizabeth A. VaughnSuperman by Jeanne C. SteinMonster Mash by Carole Nelson DouglasWanted: Dead or Alive by L.A. BanksMist by Susan KrinardBeyond the Pale by Nancy Holden

    In his singular universe, televisions talk (and sometimes sing), animals live in small apartments where their nephews visit from the sea, and men and women and boys and girls fall down wells and fly through space and find love on Ferris wheels. In a voice full of fable, myth, and dream, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day draws us into a world of delightfully wicked recognitions, and introduces us to a writer of uncommon talent and imagination.Contains 40 stories, including "The Duck," "The Man and the Moose," and "Death and the Fruits of the Tree," as heard on NPR's This American Life, "The Book," as heard on Selected Shorts, and "The TV," as found in The New Yorker.A selection of the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program and the Starbucks Coffee Bookish Reading Club.Winner of the 2011 Nobbie Award for Best Book of the Year."This guy can write!" –Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451

    How have they survived? Are they outcasts clinging to the edges of society, or do their powers ensure success in the mortal realm? Here are fourteen fabulous tales-ranging from humor to dark fantasy-that explore how the creatures of fae are fitting into the modern world.From a mortal who offers to do internet marketing for Oberon...to a woman bent on reclaiming her baby from the Queen of the fae...to a dyad grove menaced by urban expansion...to a Selkie in need of a new home and career...these are original looks at how the world of the imagination can survive and perhaps even thrive in the everyday mortal lands.Includes:Introduction by editors Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier“We Will Not Be Undersold” by Seanan McGuire“Changeling” by Susan Jett“Water-Called” by Kari Sperring“The Roots of Aston Quercus” by Juliet E. McKenna“To Scratch an Itch” by Avery Shade“Continuing Education” by Kristine Smith“How To Be Human™” by Barbara Ashford“How Much Salt” by April Steenburgh“Hooked” by Anton Strout“Crash” by S. C. Butler“Fixed” by Jean Marie Ward“A People Who Always Know” by Shannon Page & Jay Lake“The Slaughtered Lamb” by Elizabeth Bear“Corrupted” by Jim C. Hines