But these faery stories have a magical twist--every one has an LGBT theme The genre's top writers spin stories of coming out and growing old, of identity and loss, and of hardship, with a focus on youth and beauty, the love of the dance, wild passion and decadence, and the drama of vengeance and spurned love.Contents:A faun's tale / Tom Cardamone --A scent of roses / Catherine Lundoff --The wand's boy / Richard Bowes --A bird of ice / Craig Laurance Gidney --Charming, a tale of true love / Ruby deBrazier & Cassandra Clare --Three letters from the Queen of Elfland / Sarah Monette --The kings of oak and holly / Kenneth D. Woods --Detox / Elspeth Potter --From asphalt to emeralds and moonlight / Aynjel Kaye --The price of glamour / Steve Berman --The coat of stars / Holly Black --How the ocean loved Margie / Laurie J. Marks --Isis in darkness / Christopher Barzak --Touch / M. Kate Havas --Attracting opposites / Carl Vaughn Frick --The faerie cony-catcher / Delia Sherman --Exiles / Sean Meriwether --Laura left a rotten apple and came not to regret the cold of the Yukon / Lynne Jamneck --Mr. Seeley / Melissa Scott --Year of the fox / Eugie Foster --Ever so much more than twenty / Joshua Lewis --Mr. Grimm's fairy tale / Eric Andrews-Katz.

    On this anniversary, the editors have increased the size of the collection to 300,000 words of fiction and poetry, including works by Billy Collins, Ted Chiang, Karen Joy Fowler, Elizabeth Hand, Glen Hirshberg, Joyce Carol Oates, and new World Fantasy Award winner M. Rickert. With impeccably researched summations of the field by the editors, Honorable Mentions, and articles by Edward Bryant, Charles de Lint and Jeff VanderMeer on media, music and graphic novels, this is a heady brew topped off by an unparalleled list of sources of fabulous works both light and dark.

    She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

     Gingerbread houses, caroling carolers, brightly trimmed trees, big family dinners, pristine snowfalls-the familiar pleasures of the season. But what better pleasure is there than a good holiday story? So open this winter solstice sampler and indulge in fully festive fantasies, nightmares before Christmas, and stunning space-age celebrations. These stories will warm hearts and minds like a blazing Yule log. Fantastic Holiday Stories by Kevin J. Anderson, Mercedes Lackey, Mike Resnick, Kristine Rusch, Jonathan Maberry, Eric James Stone, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Quincy J. Allen, Ken Scholes, Sam Knight, David Boop, Heather Graham, Brad R. Torgersen, and Patricia Briggs.

    In happy-ever-after endings, ghosts come to life so that lovers can be united in the flesh.Contains the following novellas/short stories:The Chinese Bed by Anna CampbellOld Salt by Carolyn CraneHaints and Hobwebs by Jennifer EstepHat-Trick by Gwen CreadyGhost of Blackstone Manor by Donna FletcherSeventeen Coppers by Jeannie HolmesYours in Eternity by C.T. AdamsThe Lovers by Julia LondonA Single Girl's Guide to Getting Ahead by Liz MaverickJonquils in the Snow by Annette BlairThe Heart Thief by Cindy MilesGhost in the Machine by Dru PagliassottiThree Little Words by Christie RidgwayGhost of a Chance by Caridad PineiroIn His Hands by Sara ReinkeCan You Hear Me Now? by Sharon ShinnThe Storm by Linda Wisdom>>>--4EVR---> by Holly Lisle

     The 12 tales contained within this bundle stretch the limits of imagination while blurring genre boundaries. What they all have in common is originality, and some of the most compelling voices in publishing today. Books may be read in any order. The professionally-formatted file includes all book covers and a clickable table of contents. Please note: some stories contain mature subject matter. INCLUDED IN THIS 12-BOOK BUNDLE: Lost in Winter - Viola Rivard A woman and her young niece are stranded in the mountains, in the deadly cold of a winter night. In their fight to stay alive, they team up with a rugged stranger to trek through the woods. Clutch - J.A. Huss A mysterious winged man interrupts a rogue sniper on a mission to figure out secrets that have been hidden from her since birth. But does she really want to know the truth? CLUTCH is a futuristic urban fantasy / sci-fi thriller about self-discovery, risk, and love. Bring on the Poltergeists - T. Paulin Former delivery driver Eli Carter has a new job hunting ghosts. His boss, smooth-talking Khan Hart, assures him their first official case is an easy one. A slam dunk. A home run. But the job doesn't go according to plan. This poltergeist doesn't play by the rules. History of Fire - Alexia Purdy Benton is human, but he walks the line between two worlds: the mundane and the supernatural. As a rare Fire Elemental Warlock, he finds himself in trouble more often than he cares to admit. A Curse of Wings - Kara Legend Most fear the terrifying fehin who’ve overrun the Earth, but Bliss Daluna has learned how to deal with these demonic shifters, and turn the situation to a profit. That is, until the night all hell breaks loose, the fehin turn on her, and a mysterious stranger saves her life. A Question of Will - Alex Albrinck A case of mistaken identity and murder leads a man to develop Energy powers which he uses in an effort reverse the past and make the world a better place. Taken & Pursuit - V.M. Black Harper Bailey's adventure begins when a werewolf biker hijacks her car. This dramatic meeting takes her on the run, across state lines, into a secret lair, and into conflict with a vampire mob boss. But the greatest ride of all is the one with roguish Levi Harris, the Alpha who takes her heart captive. Ted Saves the World - Bryan Cohen Ted Finley was a teenage nobody. Now he’s a celebrity superhero. When murderous undead thugs attack, Ted teams with a possessed cheerleader to save his friends, his town, and… well, the world. The Passion Cure - Deanna Roy Jet is a Nix, an outcast enchantress with zero power. To conjure a love spell to save her family, she seduces a handsome enchanter who is willing to break the rules, and possibly, her heart. Extraction - Kevin Hardman Everyone needs help occasionally - even supers with amazing powers - and Jim (aka Kid Sensation) is no exception. Having previously received aid from a young psychic named Rudi, Jim feels obligated to return to the favor and rescue her from the federal facility where she’s being held.

    though I did leave out some of the original "diary" entries that appeared on an earlier version of the Morganville website, simply because they were just scenes and not stories, and were generally really short snippets. This is all short fiction, and it's been carefully organized into the timeline, so you can read from the earliest adventures (some of which belong to vampires) all the way through some post-Daylighters goodies.MIDNIGHT BITES includes a total of more than 50,000 words of brand new content, which makes me very happy indeed (and I hope will also make you happy, too). From stories featuring our favorite bunny-slipper-wearing mad scientist to a mystery solved by police chief Hannah Moses, I think you'll find this is a diverse group of stories that will shine a little more light in the murkiest corners of Morganville.

    3 Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong - Half-demon Hope is sent to museum gala by mentor Tristan to catch werewolf thief Mateson. 4 Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland - On their first date, Kit goes too far with Eric, shot by bystander Chávez, then wakes to no blood, no body.

    Immortal? Indeed! Nothing has sunk its teeth into 21st century popular culture as pervasively as the vampire. The fangsters have the freedom to fly across all genres and all mediums - there's even apps for vamps. Whether roaming into romance, haunting horror, sneaking into science fiction, capering into humor, meandering through mystery - no icon is more versatile than the vampire. Slake your insatiable thirst with the best sanguinary stories of the new millennium: terrifying or tender, deadly or delicious, bad-ass or beneficent, classic or cutting-edge. ContentsLa Vampiresse • (1999) • by Tanith LeeThe Coldest Girl in Coldtown • (2009) • by Holly BlackThis Is Now • (2004) • by Michael Marshall SmithSisters • [Ottawa and the Valley] • (2002) • by Charles de LintThe Screaming • (2004) • by J. A. KonrathZen and the Art of Vampirism • [Women of the Otherworld Short Fiction] • (2009) • by Kelley ArmstrongDead Man Stalking • (2008) • by Rachel CaineThe Ghost of Leadville • (2009) • by Jeanne C. SteinWaste Land • (2002) • by Stephen DedmanA Gentleman of the Old School • [Count of Saint-Germain] • (2005) • by Chelsea Quinn YarbroNo Matter Where You Go • (2010) • by Tanya HuffOutfangthief • by Conrad WilliamsDancing with the Star • (2008) • by Susan SizemoreA Trick of the Dark • (2004) • by Tina RathWhen Gretchen Was Human • (2001) • by Mary A. Turzillo [as by Mary Turzillo ]Conquistador de la Noche • [Kitty] • (2009) • by Carrie VaughnEndless Night • (2008) • by Barbara RodenDahlia Underground • (2010) • by Charlaine HarrisThe Belated Burial • (2009) • by Caitlín R. KiernanTwilight States • (2005) • by Albert E. CowdreyTo the Moment • by Nisi ShawlCastle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977 • [Anno Dracula] • (2000) • by Kim NewmanVampires in the Lemon Grove • (2007) • by Karen RussellVampires Anonymous • by Nancy KilpatrickThe Wide, Carnivorous Sky • (2009) • by John Langan©2011 Paula Guran (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

    Every agent knows that thrusting themselves into danger is part of the job, and may demand of them the ultimate sacrifice. They call on their own inner strength, wits, intellect, and innovations of science and technology.But is it enough to face the unknown and the unexplainable? This is Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, a collection of short stories featuring the derring-do of secret agents cut from a different cloth. These original short stories feature the imagination and voices of…Leanna Rennee HieberThe League of S.T.E.A.M.’s Glenn FreundDelilah S. DawsonJared AxelrodTiffany TrentKarina Cooper…and many more!Travel to the farthest corners of Queen Victoria’s mighty empire and back again to the shores of Old Blighty, unlocking the mysteries of legend, lore, and shadowy societies. Welcome to a world of steam, secrets, machinations and madness.

    Take a highly caffeinated ride through the Empire of Ice Cream. If you dare, hunt feral archetypes deep within a haunted English forest. Or conquer the New World with a band of geographically-challenged Norsemen.Tired of the same old fantasy? Here are the stories you’ve never imagined possible. Nineteen extraordinary writers offer much-needed antidotes to clichéd tales of sword and sorcery. Combining the best of the old and new, these instant classics will inspire even the most jaded of readers. Beloved author and anthologist Peter S. Beagle reveals the secret: fantasy is back and it’s better than ever.Contents:Introduction by Peter S. Beagle“Ancestor Money” by Maureen F. McHugh “Scarecrow” by Gregory Maguire “Lady of the Skulls” by Patricia A. McKillip “We Are Norsemen” by T. C. Boyle “The Barnum Museum” by Steven Millhauser “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” by Stephen King “Bears Discover Fire” by Terry Bisson “Bones” by Francesca Lia Block “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman “Fruit and Words” by Aimee Bender “The Empire of Ice Cream” by Jeffrey Ford “The Edge of the World” by Michael Swanwick “Super Goat Man” Jonathan Lethem “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner” by Susanna Clarke “The Book of Martha” by Octavia E. Butler “The Vita Æterna Mirror Company” by Yann Martel “Sleight of Hand” by Peter S. Beagle “Mythago Wood” by Robert Holdstock “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” by Kij Johnson “The Critics, the Monsters, and the Fantasists” by Ursula K. Le Guin “The Making of the American Fantasy Genre” by David Hartwell

     From demons to cowboys, from werewolves to mistletoe, this 2-in-1 will keep you warm during cold December nights. Set in Kenyon's imaginative world, A Dark-Hunter Christmas shows Gallagher, in New Orleans, at Christmastime, without his family. Missing the ones he loves is a powerful force, and threatens to cast a pall over the Big Easy's Christmas cheer. But Simi has a few tricks up her sleeve, intent to show him that even though he is apart from his loved ones, he still has people to lean on...In Santa Wears Spurs, the wanted outlaw O'Connell was forced years ago to abandon his spitfire of a woman-his wife, Catherine-before his enemies hurt her to get to him. Now he's ready to turn himself in to the authorities, but not before he does one last good deed. A deed that miraculously sends him head-to-head with Catherine who wants a bigger piece of his hide than his enemies do. But with his dangerous brother hot on his tail to end him, he has to protect Catherine at all costs. Something that would be a lot easier to do if she could forgive him for screwing up her life and leaving her. It will take a little miracle and a whole lot of Christmas magic to put his enemies behind him and allow him to win back his own good name and a heart he should never have abandoned.

    GreenLovely - John StraleyThe Price - Anne BishopFairy Dust - Charlaine HarrisThe Judgement - Anne PerryThe Sorcerer's Assassin - Sharon ShinnThe Boy Who Chased Seagulls - Michael ArmstrongPalimpsest - Laura Anne GilmanThe Death of Clickclickwhistle - Mike DOoganCairene Dawn - Jay CaselbergJustice is a Two-edged Sword - Dana StabenowAbout the Authors

    Forty years ago her grandfather made a pact with Death, and now Death has come calling again. Forced to make a deal with the reaper, Hadley has only three weeks to answer his question, or he'll take her grandmother too. The problem is, there's no way to answer it, and three weeks is not long enough with the reaper who's beginning to steal her heart... Please note: This novella has been previously published in the Mammoth Book Of Southern Gothic Romance.

    home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government.For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers -- even the dead are plotting. As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.