Even more exciting, each of these stories will spin off into a series of its own. Maggie Shayne’s CHRISTMAS BLUESA true believer returns the music to a lonesome drifter’s soul.Miranda’s Shayne’s FINDING CHRISTMASA small-town coffee shop owner melts a humbug hero’s wounded heart.River Shayne’s A HERO FOR HANNAHCan a woman in grave danger learn to trust one more time?Jessica Lewis’s THE SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS BABYA lonely serviceman comes home for a holiday he’ll never forget.Grab a cup of eggnog, curl up near the tree, and fall in love with the holidays all over again!

    But popular and successful Noah Rackham is shocked when Adelaide won't have anything to do with him. He has no idea that his very presence reminds her of something she'd rather forget. He only knows that he's finally met a woman he could love. TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned. But Sophia has paid the price—the man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. When he goes missing, she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm, leaving her penniless and forced to face all the townspeople he cheated. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as housekeeper for Ted, now a successful writer. He refuses to get emotionally involved, but will the holidays bring them another chance at happiness? COME HOME TO ME When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek with her little boy, she has completely changed her life. Now she's back in the small town that was the closest thing to “home” she ever knew. There's just one catch. Aaron Amos still lives in Whiskey Creek, and no matter how hard she's tried, Presley hasn't been able to get over him. She's come too far to backslide now. And there's a secret she's been guarding—a secret she'll do anything to protect.

     Missy's Mooment Melissa is back in Fairplay, Texas for good. After taking over the small health clinic in town, she finally feels like she has everything she’s ever wanted. But when Reece West walks into the clinic, she finds something she didn't even know she wanted. Now she’ll do just about anything to get the man of her dreams. Reece is looking for trouble, and he’s found it at Saddleback Ranch. He can ride hard, rope some steer, and train the horses that he can finally afford. But when he bumps into little Missy Holton again, his world will turn upside down. Breaking Travis Travis Nolan is back in town and doing everything he can to get right back out of it again. Finding out that his father devised a way to keep him locked in the small town of Fairplay, even after death, has him working overtime to complete his new obligations. But now there’s a small pixy redhead that won’t get out of his way or out of his mind. Holly just wants to finish remodeling her business and apartment so she can get the annoying Travis off her back, but working closely with him has afforded her the opportunity to see what’s behind his raw and rough exterior. And she’s quickly losing her heart to the town’s notorious bad boy. Roping Ryan Ryan has been an undercover narcotics cop for so long, he can’t remember what it’s like not to jump at shadows. But when a dark-haired beauty shows up claiming that she was hired by his brother to track him down, she jeopardizes his cover and puts both their lives in danger. Now they need a quiet place to hide from a powerful Mexican drug lord, and his cousins’ farm just might be the safest place in Texas.

    But even as Eddie and Spidey tentatively team up to take down Mr. Negative, they have to figure out if the returned Wraith is friend or foe! Then: welcome to Spider-Island, where a million New Yorkers suddenly possess Spider-Man's powers! Can Spidey play world-saving super hero while the Big Apple gets eaten alive from the inside out? And what secret scheme does the Jackal have up his sleeve? Plus, even as Dr. Octopus and his Sinister Six face the Intelligencia, the Vulture returns - with a band of ruffians! COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man 663-677, Amazing Spide r-Man Infested 1, Free Comic Book Day 2011, Spider-Island: Deadly Foes 1, Daredevil 8, Spider-Island Spotlight

    But some crabby bureaucrat is standing between him and the permits he needs. He's surprised to discover the culprit is actually beautiful, young Shannon Morgan, and even more shocked when fireworks ignite between them. Unmasking Love: Sparks fly when Julie Payne meets Trace Watkins at a costume party, and they end the night beneath the sheets while literally hiding behind their masks. When the holiday hook-up ends, their real identities present a serious snag: Trace manages the bank Julie happens to be suing. But will they turn this nasty trick of fate into a treat? Lights, Latkes, and Love: Non-profit CEO David Shay can't get enough of the December festivities. As manager of a large retail store, Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. Can a nice Jewish boy - with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party - teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year's Eve kiss to remember? Ringing in Love: When entrepreneur and single mother Catherine Bennett leases office space in Dominic Russo's building, she can't keep her mind - or her eyes - off her new landlord. Only problem is, he happens to be a known womanizer . . . and her professional rival. Then he offers her an irresistible chance at winning a huge contract if she partners with his company. Catherine must decide whether mixing business with pleasure might not be such a bad idea this New Year's Eve. The Gift of Love: Isabella Rodriguez received the worst birthday gift ever - an eviction notice from her family home. Adrift, she accepts an unexpected promotion and transfers to Seattle where she meets Taylor Jordan at a business mixer. They're drawn to each other like candles to a cake. But when Taylor discovers Bella was behind one of the most humiliating experiences of his life, will they be able to find a future together? Thankful for Love: Rancher Jack Richardson needs someone to wrangle his two sons, and Quanna Morales needs a steady job to fund her education and help support her disabled brother. But despite a working relationship, the two can't fight their attraction, even though Quanna worries his family and friends won't accept her Indian heritage. When her worst fears come true and a feud erupts at the Thanksgiving table, will Jack be able to convince her that their love is strong enough to overcome any obstacle? Sensuality Level: Sensual

    "Allah!"With that shrill cry, three Muslim terrorists blow up a key Soviet oil complex, creating a critical oil shortage that threatens the stability of the USSR.To offer the effects of this disaster, members of the Politburo and the KGB devise a brilliant plan of diplomatic trickery - a sequence of events designed to pit the NATO allies against each other - a distraction calculated to enable the Soviets to seize all the oil in the Persian Gulf.But as this spellbinding story of international intrigue and global politics nears its climax, the Soviets are faced with another prospect, one they hadn't planned on: a full-scale conflict in which nobody can win.

    Who will join Thanos' cause? Legacy? Terrax the Tamer? Jack of Hearts? What about Ganymede, last of the Spinsterhood and sworn enemy of Tyrant? And where do the loyalties of Morg, Herald of Galactus lie? COLLECTING: SECRET DEFENDERS 12-14, COSMIC POWERS 1-6

    As the gang heads to the beach to soak up some rays, Jon and Liz hit bumpy waters, navigating a breakup just as a giant shark approaches. After the waters have calmed,, Garfield and Odie audition for a reality show, and Garfield encounters nemeses old and new: a spooky ghoul who reaches out from the TV, and the fan-favorite Lasagna Monster. Writers Mark Evanier (Garfield and Friends) and Scott Nickel team up with artists Antonio Alfaro, David DeGrand (Spongebob Comics), and more for loads of comedy and carbs. Collects Garfield 2018 Vacation Time Blues #1 and Garfield 2018 TV Or Not TV? #1.

    Martin was born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed. Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93. Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West. Volume 1 of "George R. R. Martin: Short Stories" contains the Hugo, Locus Poll and Nebula Award? Winning "Sandkings," and more excellent short science fiction and fantasy.

    It is the elite team in New York’s police department, handling the cases involving the most important and high-profile individuals in the city. It’s Detective Zach Jordan’s dream job, but he’s about to step into a nightmare.In the middle of a New York film festival, a maniac begins a very public and very brutal killing spree targeting Hollywood’s biggest stars. Zach is assigned a new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, who is also his ex-girlfriend. But they’ll need to put their history aside to have a chance of stopping this homicidal psychopath before he brings New York City to its knees.NYPD Red 2A vigilante serial killer is on the loose in New York City, tracking down and murdering people whose crimes have not been punished. The number of victims grows, and many New Yorkers secretly applaud the idea of justice won at any price.NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald are put on the case when a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections disappears. Zach and Kylie have to find what's really behind this murderer's rampage while political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance. But Kylie has been acting strange recently – and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.NYPD Red 3Hunter Alden Jr. has it all: a beautiful wife, a brilliant son and billions in the bank. But when his son goes missing and he discovers the severed head of his chauffeur, it’s clear he’s in danger of losing it all.The kidnapper knows a horrific secret that could change the world as we know it. A secret worth killing for. A secret worth dying for.New York’s best detectives, Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald, are on the case. But by getting closer to the truth, Zach and Kylie are edging ever closer to the firing line…

    Based on the AMAZING new animated series! What do you do when the world's evilest villains attack? Call Earth's Mightiest Heroes to save the day! In our first tale, CAPTAIN AMERICA and THOR face a threat bigger than BOTH of them! And in tale two, following the exploits of everyone's favorite arrow-flinger: HAWKEYE!

    He loves their grace and athleticism. He’s been dating strippers, but his grandmother keeps asking when he will marry and give her grandbabies. When he attends a belly dance show and sees Zarifah he is smitten. “Zarifah” is an American belly dancer, who as child gymnast Edith Smith, was training for the Olympics, before her coaches dashed water on her dream. Her dance style is a unique blend of graceful dance and athleticism. Moments after her fiancé puts an engagement ring on her finger, he changes, demanding she stop dancing in public. She breaks the engagement, but he refuses to accept the ring or the breakup. When he hits her, the police arrest him. She never wants to see him again.She signs up for the first Shimmy Mob event, a belly dance event held on international belly dance day all around the world, which raises awareness and money for local domestic abuse shelters. Like many women, she never thought she would be a victim of domestic violence. Now she wants to help other women and she takes part, with her troupe, in the Shimmy Mob event.Cutter and Zarifah start dating. She might be the woman of his dreams, the one he will take home to meet his grandmother. Her ex fiancé decides if he cannot have her, no one will. The troupe has just finished their Shimmy Mob performance when the live shooter fires. He has no idea a Navy SEAL is there to protect Zarifa.

    But then the magic began to fade and Elantris began to rot. And now its shattered citizens face domination by a powerful Imperium motivated by dogged religious views. Can a young Princess unite the people of Elantris, rediscover the lost magic and lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots? THE EMPEROR'S SOUL - Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Though condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor's sceptre, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Despite the fact that her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead from the attack of assassins. Skillfully deducing the machinations of her captors, Shai needs a perfect plan to escape. The fate of the empire lies in one impossible task. Is it possible to create a forgery of a soul so convincing that it is better than the soul itself? WARBREAKER is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, a lesser god, and an immortal trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city. A world transformed by BioChromatic magic, a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous: breath can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. But the rewards are great: by using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be performed.

    Loretta Drennan learns about her stepfather’s plot to sicken her mother and take over the family business in Chicago. Letty flees to Montana in search of her brother, Johnny, to seek his help. Traveling alone, she meets Paul Slater who claims to own a ranch with Johnny as his partner. He offers to escort her on the two-day journey to their ranch in Morgan’s Crossing. Hoping to out-run a looming snowstorm, they instead get stranded in a cabin. Days later they finally reach their destination. Reunited with her brother she pleads her case for him to return home. Johnny wants to help but his share of stocks will not give him the needed votes to gain control of the family company. Letty can only get her shares when she turns twenty-five or by marrying. Paul steps in to help by offering to wed his friend’s sister. They plan a wedding, in name-only, but there are real underlying feelings. When left alone at the ranch house the truth begins to come out. But the honeymoon is interrupted when a stranger shows up and kidnaps the bride. Can Paul save the woman he’s fallen in love with before it’s too late?

    A haunted mansion. A haunted woman. Three unforgettable tales of terror. THE HARROWINGFive troubled college students left alone on their isolated campus over the long Thanksgiving break confront their own demons and a mysterious presence... that may or may not be real.Nominated for Bram Stoker and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel"Poltergeist meets The Breakfast Club as five college students tangle with an ancient evil presence." - Kirkus Reviews"Absolutely gripping... it is easy to imagine this as a film. Once started, you won't want to stop reading." - The London TimesTHE UNSEEN"A creepy haunted house, reports of a 40-year-old poltergeist investigation, and a young researcher trying to rebuild her life take the "publish or perish" initiative for college professors to a terrifying new level in this spine-tingling story that has every indication of becoming a horror classic. Based on the famous Rhine ESP experiments at the Duke University parapsychology department that collapsed in the 1960s, this is a chillingly dark look into the unknown." —Romantic Times Book ReviewBOOK OF SHADOWSA cynical Boston homicide detective and a mysterious witch from Salem must join forces in a race to solve a series of satanic killings."A wonderfully dark thriller with amazing 'Is-it-isn't-it?' suspense throughout." — Lee Child-----------------------------------------