But when he finally catches up to her on an airship flying above Europe's zombie-infested cities, Elizabeth discovers that Caius isn't the only danger she has to fear—and now that he's found her, Caius doesn't intend to let her go...Originally published in the anthology Fire & Frost.

    Previously difficult for readers to discover in its new modes, urban fantasy is represented here in all three of its distinct styles—playful new mythologies, sexy paranormal romances, and gritty urban noir. Whether they feature tattooed demon-hunters, angst-ridden vampires, supernatural gumshoes, or pixelated pixies, these authors—including Patricia Briggs, Neil Gaiman, and Charles de Lint—mash-up traditional fare with pop culture, creating iconic characters, conflicted moralities, and complex settings. The result is starkly original fiction that has broad-based appeal and is immensely entertaining.ContentsIntroduction by Peter S. Beagle Mythic FictionIntroduction: “A Personal Journey Into Mythic Fiction” by Charles de Lint “A Bird That Whistles” by Emma Bull“Make a Joyful Noise” by Charles de Lint“The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories” by Neil Gaiman“On the Road to New Egypt” by Jeffrey Ford“Julie’s Unicorn” by Peter S. BeagleParanormal RomanceIntroduction: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Urban Fantasy” by Paula Guran “Companions to the Moon” by Charles de Lint“A Haunted House of Her Own” by Kelley Armstrong“She’s My Witch” by Norman Partridge“Kitty’s Zombie New Year” by Carrie Vaughn“Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs“Hit” by Bruce McAllister “Boobs” by Suzy McKee Charnas “Farewell, My Zombie” by Francesca Lia BlockNoir FantasyIntroduction: “We Are Not a Club, but We Sometimes Share a Room” by Joe R. Lansdale “The White Man” by Thomas M. Disch“Gestella” by Susan Palwick“The Coldest Girl in Coldtown” by Holly Black“Talking Back to the Moon” by Steven R. Boyett“On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks” by Joe R. Lansdale“The Bible Repairman” by Tim Powers“Father Dear” by Al Sarrantonio

    Fatal IdentityGovernment worker Josh Hamilton begs Lieutenant Sam Holland to investigate his shocking claim that his parents stole him from another family thirty years ago. More complicated still, his “father” is none other than the FBI director. When a member of Josh’s family is brutally murdered, Sam begins to question how deep this cover-up goes. Is it possible the revered director was part of a baby-napping ring and that others involved are also targets?Fatal ThreatIt’s just another day at the office for Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland when a body surfaces off the shores of the Anacostia River. But before Sam can sink her teeth into the new case, Secret Service agents seize her from the crime scene. A threat has been made against her family, but nobody will tell her anything—including the whereabouts of her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano. With a ruthless killer out for vengeance, Sam works to tie the threat to a murder that can’t possibly be a coincidence. And she has to get it done before her husband’s career is irrevocably damaged…Fatal ChaosEscaping DC during the dog days of summer is one of the smartest moves Washington metro police lieutenant Samantha Holland ever made, but no sooner are they back home than a fatal drive-by shooting sets the city on edge. As more deaths follow, Sam and her team play beat the clock to stop the ruthless killers. With Nick facing his greatest challenge—one that could drastically change all their lives and even end Sam’s career—will the mounting pressure deepen or damage their bond?Originally published in 2016, 2017, and 2018

    Somehow, while trying to escape an evil stepmother, Princess Rosamund ends up falling asleep. For a long time. But when she's awakened by handsome Viking Siegfried, things don't follow any predictable path...BEAUTY AND THE WEREWOLFTradition predicted that Isabella Beauchamps would go bad. But fiercely practical Bella doesn't do anything crazy--until she's bitten by a werewolf. Now she must stay in Duke Sebastian's castle until she finds out if she's going to grow fur as well. But Bella won't meekly accept anyone else's plan for her life....

     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?

    Through this book of fiction, the author has made an attempt to answer several questions which we tend to place in front of others and which the world places in front of us. He has explicitly placed the phrases like "World says: Love can never be one sided, Where as some says: There is nothing called Love, But to the author: Love sees no side. It happens, to be the only Law of Life. And is the most Powerful thing one can possess". This romantic story whirls around a young boy who loved his dream girl in his thoughts and wanted to wait for her till his last breath. He was surrounded by many feelings but not the one that touched his heart and soul. He was heart broken and totally isolated. This was the moment when his lady love enters his life with with promises of eternity and endless love. His past experiences have made some unseen wounds on his heart and mind and before he could understand the selfless love of his Love, it was again too late. A beautiful piece encircled with love, hatred, frustration, depression and promises. This fiction book will let you know what love exactly is ? A truly romantic, heartwarming story for today's younger generation.

    But the laws of our charter prevent me and I am bound by oath to obey those laws; laws made, not by our own Guild-mothers, but by men who fear what we might have to say to their women!

    In Jim Butcher’s ”Curses”, Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. In Patricia Briggs’ “Fairy Gifts,”, a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. In Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead”, the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. In Holly Black’s “Noble Rot”, a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own.Featuring original stories from 20 authors, this dark, captivating, fabulous, and fantastical collection is not to be missed!Contents:Curses / by Jim Butcher --How the pooka came to New York City / by Delia Sherman --On the slide / by Richard Bowes --The Duke of Riverside / by Ellen Kushner --Oblivion by Calvin Klein / by Christopher Fowler --Fairy gifts / by Patricia Briggs --Picking up the pieces / by Pat Cadigan --Underbridge / by Peter S. Beagle --Priced to sell / by Naomi Novik --The bricks of Gelecek / by Matthew Kressel --Weston walks / by Kit Reed --The projected girl/ by Lavie Tidhar --The way station / by Nathan Ballingrud --Guns for the dead / by Melissa Marr --And go like this / by John Crowley --Noble rot / by Holly Black --Daddy longlegs of the evening / by Jeffrey Ford --The skinny girl / by Lucius Shepard --The Colliers' Venus (1893) / by Caitlín R. Kiernan --King pole, gallows pole, bottle tree / by Elizabeth Bear.

    A mage cop on his first assignment learns the world isn't as black and white as hopedA jump mage and a starship with matching needs turn out to be a magnet for troubleDigging in 1940s New York City awakens a monster--and brings in the elite of the FaeThe protected heir of an interstellar dictatorship is called to a battle no one expected him to fightAn explosive collection of four novellas from science fiction and fantasy author Glynn Stewart, spanning his ONSET, Starship's Mage, Changeling Blood and Exile universes, including two brand new urban fantasy novellas.  Includes:ONSET: Murder by MagicStarship's Mage: Episode 1Fae, Flames and FedorasAshen Stars

    With established names and new talent this diverse and ground-breaking collection will take the reader to the outer-reaches of space and the inner realms of humanity with stories of fantastical worlds and worlds that may still come to pass.ContentsIntroduction by Jonathan StrahanThe Future Is Blue / Catherynne M. ValenteMika Model / Paolo BacigalupiSpinning Silver / Naomi NovikTwo's Company (The First Law Universe) / Joe AbercrombieYou Make Pattaya / Rich LarsonYou'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay / Alyssa WongA Salvaging of Ghosts (Universe of Xuya) / Aliette de BodardEven the Crumbs Were Delicious / Daryl GregoryNumber Nine Moon / Alex IrvineThings with Beards / Sam J. MillerSuccessor, Usurper, Replacement / Alice Sola KimLaws of Night and Silk / Seth DickinsonTouring with the Alien / Carolyn Ives GilmanThe Great Detective (Cwmlech Manor #2) / Delia ShermanEveryone from Themis Sends Letters Home / Genevieve ValentineThose Shadows Laugh / Geoff RymanSeasons of Glass and Iron / Amal El-MohtarThe Art of Space Travel / Nina AllanWhisper Road (Murder Ballad No. 9) / Caitlín R. KiernanRed Dirt Witch / N. K. JemisinRed as Blood and White as Bone / Theodora GossTerminal / Lavie TidharFoxfire, Foxfire / Yoon Ha LeeElves of Antarctica / Paul J. McAuleyThe Witch of Orion Waste and the Boy Knight / E. Lily YuSeven Birthdays / Ken LiuThe Visitor from Taured / Ian R. MacLeodFable / Charles YuHonorable Mentions: 2016 -- essay

    Now she’s really in for a cleanup.Triana Moore lost her job as a maintenance technician when her boss discovered her true identity. But decluttering the galaxy isn’t just for janitors. When she visits the ringed planet Grissom with security agent Ty O’Neill for his sister’s wedding, Triana discovers just how messy life can get. Deported before she can finish her coffee, Triana barely misses an exploding shuttle. But in true space janitor fashion, she decides to investigate. With the help of a pair of mischievous twins, a hard-drinking grandma, and her old frenemy Vanti, will Triana save the wedding?Of course she will. But how crazy will it get along the way?The Rings of Grissom tells the continuing story of Triana Moore, (former) Space Janitor, but can be enjoyed by new readers as well. If you want to avoid spoilers, read Triana Moore, Space Janitor first.

    Afraid of being thrown into an isolation chamber, Michael goes home, but quickly falls violently ill. By the time he recovers and returns to work scary things are happening. Everyone who has come into contact with that patient is being systematically killed. On the run, he accidentally infects a woman living in the shadows of the underworld. She becomes ill as well, but survives. Then they begin feeling younger-and younger. Why would the government want to suppress something like this? After barely escaping federal gunmen, the two of them set out to discover what kind of infection they are harboring even though it might mean the end of their freedom.

    She likes to keep the quiet sleepy mountain town drama free. Which means, shifter free. So when a large squad of ex-con bear shifters show up out of the blue and move onto the Vega Ranch, she has a big problem with it. Especially with the huge sexy one, Stetson Evans, who keeps haunting her dreams with those vexing green eyes.Stetson is not mate material. He's destined to be the grumpy bear of The Clawed Squad. Broken. Tormented. Alone. That's how it has always been and that's how it will always be. Until he meets Kylee, the tough talking Sheriff of his new town. She brings out a new side of him that is both exciting and terrifying. Will the meanest shifter in The Clawed Squad be able to convince the beautiful curvy Sheriff that all shifters aren't bad?But Stetson is not just up against Kylee's long held prejudices. They're both up against a dangerous secret that could destroy the two of them and will have them both asking a very important question: Can you change fate?Book 2: The Clawed Squad: RoyalGrizzly bear shifter, Royal, needs a princess. Unfortunately the tiny mountain town of Colwood, Montana is fresh out of them. Every bear shifter in the Clawed Squad must find a mate, and soon, and the pressure on Royal to drop his dream of marrying a princess is starting to get intense. It's too bad there's no way in hell that he's ever going to drop it.Camilla Hill is a master con artist. She gets in way over her head during a con when she pretends to be a princess in need and catches the eye of a sexy bear shifter. He's hot, dangerous, and has a thing for princesses. Can she tell him the truth before things quickly spin out of control?Love is in the air, but so is deception, lies, and betrayal. Will the prince get his princess or just get royally screwed?Book 3: The Clawed Squad: The TwinsLayla Winters is out of shape, out of breath, and out of luck. After a series of strange circumstances, she finds herself hanging from Montana's highest cliff without a hope to survive. That is until two identical twin bear shifters come racing up the mountain to save her.Slate and Karl Ember are two bear shifter twins looking for a mate. Karl wants to complete the triad which is any twin bear shifter's destiny but his brother Slate has a problem with sharing, and there's no way that Slate is going to share a mate. But when the curvy and quick witted, Layla, literally falls into their muscular arms, all bets are off.Layla is perfect for Slate, but she's also perfect for his brother, Karl. Can the two brothers learn to share a mate or will they both go down fighting?Book 4: The Clawed Squad: TylerSkin shifter, Tyler Jones, hasn't been home in almost a decade. Why would he? His community of skin shifters excommunicated him, Jacob, the ruler who happens to be his older brother, is a psychopath, and the girl who he spent his whole youth loving broke his heart when she turned him away. So yeah, he's just fine staying on Clawed Ranch.Skin shifter, Isabelle Lexington, is desperate. Years ago, out of fear, she chose Jacob to be her husband over the true love of her life, Tyler. It was the biggest mistake of her life and now she’s paying the terrible consequences. If only she could turn back time, but she just may be able to; If she can only make Tyler see… After taking one look at Isabelle, Tyler is doing something that he vowed never to do: return home. But things have changed since he left. His brother Jacob is more powerful than ever; a rare master skin shifter. Tyler is hopelessly outmatched but hopelessly in love. A dangerous combination that will launch both Isabelle and Tyler into the true face of evil.Book 5: The Clawed Squad: ThornThe Clawed Squad's alpha, Thorn Conway, is the last of the squad left to get married. Only problem is, his mate died a decade ago.The hurt is still real, the pain is still raw. Will he be able to move past her looming memory to find the happiness that he doesn't feel like he deserves? Or will he give into the darkness and let down his whole squad?Fate can be cruel, but fate can also hold a few tricks up her sleeve...Join the Clawed Squad for one last adventure with a lot of action, steam, and of course, a lot of laughs.

     She has always felt like an outsider, even in her own family. In a community of Wolf Shifters where lean muscle is the epitome of beauty and worth, Mary's curvaceous frame only highlights that she doesn't fit in. Then one day, she does the most daring thing she could do–she runs away… … straight into Andre. He is a Bear shifter, a traditional enemy of the Wolves. Andre once had a wife and daughter, but when cruel hunters killed them, the best part of him went with them. Since that day, he has had one focus in his mind; to find and kill the hunters that killed his wife and daughter. But when the Wolf finds herself falling for the Bear, can her lonely soul heal his angry heart? AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a full-length novel (approximately 282 pages). Story contains mature themes and language and is intended for 18+ readers only.

    It’s the discovery of the late-night message she sent to the boy she loved ten years ago. The one she hasn’t seen since their week-long whirlwind summer romance in Door County. The boy she gave her heart to and forgot to take it back.You know... "The Big One". After they reconnect online, the years apart haven’t diminished their chemistry one bit. Desperate to find out if he’s really her one true love, she lets her meddling wingmen convince her to do the craziest thing she’s ever done in her well-planned life—she hops on a plane to surprise him in Italy. When Ellie waltzes back into his life and the sparks still fly between them, Liam is determined not to let her slip away again. He’s spent ten years trying to forget her, and now he’ll do anything to convince her to stay.As Ellie and Liam reconnect and try to bridge the ocean between them, they soon find more than just distance can tear them apart.