who died years earlier; doomed pioneers forge a path westward as a young mother discovers her true nature; an alcoholic strikes a dangerous bargain with a gregarious stranger; urban explorers delve into a ruined book depository, finding more than they anticipated; residents of a rural Wisconsin town defend against a legendary monster; a woman wracked by survivor's guilt is haunted by the ghosts of a tragic crash; a detective strives to solve the mystery of a dismembered girl; an orphan returns to a wicked witch's candy house; a group of smugglers find themselves buried to the necks in sand; an unanticipated guest brings doom to a high-class party; a teacher attempts to lead his students to safety as the world comes to an end around them...What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the twenty-one stories and poems included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year.Legendary editor Ellen Datlow (Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year, Volume One.

    Then we ask a team of ruthless judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems. The result is All These Shiny Worlds II:A world of today where cosplay and stagecraft are bright lights hiding dark shadowsA world of tomorrow, where kitchen appliances fend for themselves and take solace in each other's arms, refugees from indifferent ownersA world of little cogs in big machines, where the humble trash collector is the unsung hero of getting evil doneA world of small magics and big hearts, where a little chaos can go a long, long wayFrom the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes another collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all continuing to carry our one simple promise:Guaranteed not to suck.

    A hot cowboy meets a sexy guest at a dude ranch and gets the ride of his life. A deadly storm may bring a detective and the woman he loves together...or tear them apart. And a woman expecting to go on a first date finds herself caught up in an investigation into a terrorist plot - and falling for the secret agent.Enjoy four original Harlequin romance novellas from a variety of genres to suit any mood - sweet and sexy, paranormal and suspenseful - in A Taste of Romance anthology!Anthology includes:The Reaper's Heart by Michele Hauf (Harlequin Nocturne)The Good Girl by Tara Taylor Quinn (It Happened in Comfort Cove series, Harlequin Superromance)Any Man of Mine by Debbi Rawlins (Made in Montana series, Harlequin Blaze)Secret Agent Seduction by Jennifer Morey (Vengeance in Texas series, Harlequin Romantic Suspense)

    Compiling favored stories suggested by the author and his fans, this delightful treasury contains the most esteemed and beloved selections that de Lint has to offer. Innovative characters in unexpected places are the key to each plot: playful Crow Girls who sneak into the homes of their sleeping neighbors; a graffiti artist who risks everything to expose a long-standing conspiracy; a half-human girl who must choose between her village and her strange birthright; and an unrepentant trickster who throws one last party to reveal a folkloric tradition. Showcasing some of the finest offerings within the realms of urban fantasy and magical realism, this essential compendium of timeless tales will charm and inspire.Contents IntroductionIn Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn Coyote Stories Laughter in the Leaves The Badger in the Bag And the Rafters Were Ringing Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood The Stone Drum Timeskip Freewheeling A Wish Named Arnold Into the Green The Graceless Child Winter Was Hard The Conjure Man We Are Dead Together Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery In the House of My Enemy The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep Crow Girls Birds Held Safe by Moonlight and Vines In the Pines Pixel Pixies Many Worlds Are Born Tonight Sisters Pal o' Mine That Was Radio Clash Old Man Crow The Fields Beyond the Fields

    "Weirder Than Weird" is assured to keep the reader captivated on those cold winter nights when all you want to do is to curl up with a good book and let your mind run wild.Imagine, if you will, the worst case scenario for a woman who holds the deepest and darkest of secrets. She tries to keep this ignominious shame from her psychologist but he knows her secret all too well and she ends up paying the ultimate price for her indiscretions. Or... consider poor Keith Tuttle, a young man who unwittingly becomes part of a horrifying tale that damns him for all eternity but strangely enough, someone close to him unexpectedly profits from his doom. Another story called "Arrival Time" will allow you to peer into the life of a solitary man traveling through space and what he has come to rely on in order to keep his sanity. Will he lose it? Stand by..."Weirder Than Weird" is chock full of the most unusual tales that you will ever read. Can you hear the whistle blowing? The train is about to leave the station. Next stop: Macabre-Ville, Humor Heights and Whacky Wherever. The only question now is... Will you be on board?

    This is ten complete novels from some of today's most exciting authors.A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books from ten different vampire series by your favorite women authors.Book 1 – Blurb: A werewolf with an unusual power is forced to face the monsters of her past and the uncertainty of the future after a dangerous vampire awakens the darkness within her.ONCE BITTEN by bestselling author Trina M. Lee of the bestselling Alexa O'Brien Huntress series.Book 2 – Blurb: His precious touch could prove deadly…CRUSH by bestselling author Chrissy Peebles of more than ten novels including the popular series The Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series and The Ruby Ring Saga.Book 3 – Blurb: After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...RAVEN by bestselling author Suzy Turner. Suzy Turner of The Raven Saga trilogy and The Morgan Sisters series as well as a chick lit novel entitled Forever Fredless.Book 4 – Blurb: An unhappy vampire gets a second chance to be mortal in this dark, yet often humorous tale of creatures at war.VAMPIRES RULE by bestselling author K. C. Blake. She’s the author of two other exciting series which include Bait, Crushed, and Witch Hunt.Book 5 – Blurb: It lurks in the dead of night…BLUR by bestselling author Kristen MiddletonBook 6 – Blurb: Rayea is a daughter of Satan, and a vampire. But the good thing is…she’s on our side.THE VAMPIRE FROM HELL by bestselling author Ally Thomas. Her books have been on the Top 100 bestsellers list in Fantasy at Amazon since 2011.Book 7 – Blurb: Sixteen-year-old vampire Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast in her world, but fate and near death teaches her that who you are on the inside is more important that what you on the outside.VAMPIRE IN DENIAL by bestselling author Dale MayerBook 8 – Blurb: A reclusive hybrid vampire is forced to reacquaint herself with the human world in order to rid herself of an accidental slave problem.THIRST by bestselling author Claire Farrell, author of over a dozen speculative fiction novels.Book 9 – Blurb: Sarah reads her grandfather's journal in stunned disbelief. What was once her grandfather's responsibility has passed to her father and now to her. She has become the Warden. Her life will never be the same.THE VAMPIRE’S WARDEN by S.J. WrightBook 10 – Blurb: What if courage was your only option?COURAGE RUNS RED by bestselling author W.J. May

    Angelina helps three mortals find love in this trilogy of sexy, witty, irresistible vampire novellas.

    This novella first appeared in the Cemetery Dance anthology "Brimstone Turnpike." Sam Kenzie is an LAPD cop who can't escape his obsession with a serial killer due to demons of his own.

    Each new soul arrives with a story and a last wish. If she can grant their wish, they’ll move on and leave her be. But that isn’t always possible and her head is getting crowded... Three weeks from taking a new job, Linh gets fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Bauer stuck in her head. Another voice is bad enough, but Linh is horrified to learn that the girl’s last wish is for her father to die. When Linh refuses, Elizabeth decides there’s only one way to get what she wants—to take over Linh’s body and kill her father herself. During the struggle that follows Linh is forced to decide what’s more important—her life and the lives of those around her or her oath as a physician to do no harm.

    But as she forms an unlikely connection with her abductor, Luke, her adventure takes a strange turn.There is nothing magical about growing up in a mountainside castle, when it’s your prison. Kaya’s ruthless and powerful father keeps her under lock and key, watched every second of the day–and Kaya’s not really sure why. She’s just a normal girl…no one special. She doesn’t understand her father’s obsession with her safety – until she is kidnapped. Dragged through a brutal wilderness, Kaya’s captor shows her the devastating truth, and even though he has dark secrets of his own, she is inexplicably drawn to him–when the stars are in your eyes, sometimes the line between right and wrong is blurred. Passion obliterates common sense. Love... makes you reckless. As Kaya's father’s men and her devoted bodyguard scour the woods to find her, she wonders if staying in the arms of her abductor is the safer place to be. At least, that’s what her heart is saying—her head is saying run… Dangerously passionate and darkly romantic, SERENADE is a page-turning thriller and seductive love story.

    As one reader put it, Healed reads "as if it were written by both Steven King and M. Night Shyamalan." It is the third short story written by Dean Skinner whose first short story, Broken, climbed as high as #134 in Amazon's "90-Minute Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads." Dean Skinner is an artist who has his work displayed throughout the US, UK and Australia. Dean is also an author of supernatural thrillers who combines his faith with his love of horror.

    The side effects were anything but hopeful. Mara and Sebastian are young, in love and newlyweds. Far too soon, they will face tests to their love that most others won’t survive. Their bond strengthens with each loss, destruction and unbearable race against time. In each other, they find the will and hope to endure. Hand in hand, they will face the darkening of humanity with strength and integrity and an undeniable spirit to survive; together.

     Dark Dreams.... a vampire anthology.. Three Stories - 1) Venom (From the Night Roamers Series) by Kristen Middleton 2) The Eternals by Kristie K. Shafer 3) Blur (Night Roamers) Book One by Kristen Middleton Venom When Melody Williams goes missing after a "Venom" concert at Club Nightshade, her cousin, eighteen-year-old Chelsey Fairfax, sneaks into the club, to find answers. Little does she know that some answers are better left hidden. Meanwhile, there's a hot new band in town and the owner of Club Nightshade wants them there permanently... The Eternals. Rani's world is shattered when Tyler, one of her good friends, reveals a horrifying secret, and then disappears without a trace. Later, she meets a mysterious stranger who steals her hear,t and sweeps her off of her feet. Little does she know that he has his own dark secrets, ones that threaten her own existence...

    Eager to prove herself grown up, she goes to a dark, secluded park. She’s supposed to meet the boy of her dreams who she met online. But the cute fifteen year old was a fantasy, his pictures fake. She finds herself face to face with Chester Woodran, a man capable of murder.Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He withholds food, locks Macy up, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester’s daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.

    Terrifying urban myths, malicious ghosts, cursed architecture, malignant city deities, personal demons (in business or relationships) twisted into something worse virtually anything that inspires the contributors to imagine some bit of urban darkness."