Learn how his actions set the plot in motion in The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy, a short teaser story from author Kady Cross’s Steampunk Chronicles. Jack Dandy didn’t become prince of the London underworld at barely twenty-one by being softhearted, even if a certain girl in a steel corset has wormed her way into his affections of late. He knows how to manipulate, charm and rob people blind.And if his criminal activities embarrass his aristocratic father, so much the better. So when a friend of Jack’s father hires him for an underhanded job, Jack is happy to oblige—for an outrageous fee, of course. Delivering a mysterious crate seems like aneasy task—until Jack realizes just what is inside...

    Yet, the ghosts of the past haunt him on his last night on earth in an eerie surrealism. As the old man sleeps in the dilapidated farm house his greatest fear of being found becomes a reality and his only salvation in the end, but it is too late.

    Protagonists in the other stories range from a teenage girl to an old woman with the theme of family and love and unseen possibilities in the Christmas season.This collection contains six stories of mysticism, hope and charm, a Christmas gift to readers.

    The Merriwether family traditions are dark magic, devil worship and insurrection. Jack and Olive Merriwether thought they were two ordinary teenagers until they learned they were descended from the murderous sorcerer Gorgyaz. Now that the truth about their ancestry is out, the government wants to take their freedom, a witchfinder wants to take their lives and the shadowy leader of the Thirteenth Division wants to take their souls. Jack and Olive didn't intend on following in their infamous forefather's footsteps, but they'll have to learn the family traditions to survive.

    Hamilton has proven himself a modern master of epic space opera, carrying the tradition of far-future empire building begun by Heinlein and Asimov into the new millennium. But Hamilton is also a master of the short story, and when he tackles one of science fiction’s most enduring themes—time travel—the result is as provocative as it is entertaining. It starts in 2007 with a break-in. The victim: Marcus Orthew, the financial and technological genius behind Orthanics, the computer company whose radical products have delivered a one-two punch to the industry, all but knocking PCs and Macs out of the ring. The perpetrator: a man obsessed with Orthew. Just another simple case of celebrity stalking—or so everyone assumes at first, including Metropolitan Police Chief Detective David Lanson. But when Lanson interviews the suspect, he makes a startling claim: Orthew is from the future. Or, rather, a future—a parallel timeline. Thus begins the ride of a lifetime for Lanson, as his pursuit of the facts tumbles him headlong down a rabbit hole—and the hunter finds himself hunted.

    An enchanting story from Maggie Stiefvater featuring Opal, Ronan, and Adam from her bestselling Raven Cycle, taking place after the events of The Raven King.

    https://www.penguin.com.au/bonus/400-...In this exclusive FREE Jack Reacher short story, a rookie detective finds Jack wounded and in hospital…

    Every week five friends get together to play a game-- a game they call the Apocalypse Game. It's a fun time with chips and beer and plotting the end of the world. Except this time, one of them is missing and the stakes are higher than ever before.Word count: ~3,900

    She always worked Fridays, but if things had gone according to plan on that particular Friday, she would have had the night off. One rainy Tokyo night, a waitress’s uneventful twentieth birthday takes a strange and fateful turn when she’s asked to deliver dinner to the restaurant’s reclusive owner. Birthday Girl is a beguiling, exquisitely satisfying taste of master storytelling, published to celebrate Murakami’s 70th birthday.

    Now, in this original short story, available exclusively as an eBook, Picoult introduces Serenity Jones, one of the fascinating characters from her eagerly awaited new novel, Leaving Time. Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she’s an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damage—to both her reputation and her show—Serenity finds that pride comes at a high price.

    There’s something in his bag. Something silver and glistening, sparkling with hopes and dreams of a bright and beautiful future. The only thing standing between him and his soon to be fiancée Emma is his arduous, mind-numbing drive home. But something isn’t right. His phone, his hearing, the music, the traffic; everything just seems off and out of sync, and Riley can’t quite put his finger on it.All he has to do is keep his eyes on the road…All he has to do is take it slow…In this brooding and deeply moving short story by Jack Harding, buckle up and settle down for a journey that will stir your senses and pull on your heart strings, keeping you guessing right until the end of the road.

    Bear shifter Dirk Greenwood is in a bind: his Alpha father, Cyrus, has ordered him to choose a mate or be exiled. He wants his son to marry a woman from another clan to cement their alliance. When Dirk argues with his prospective bride at the clan’s biggest social event of the year -- the Callisto’s Masquerade masked ball -- his father punishes him by saddling him with a human date for the evening. At first, Dirk resents her presence … until his bear begins to awaken, and he realizes the curvy woman is his fated mate. A baker in a quandary ... Rachel Simmons thought the Masquerade catering job would be an easy way to put her new bakery on the map. Instead, the fine print in the contract has her serving pastries in a skimpy outfit, dodging her jerk of an ex, and escorting a handsome but foul-tempered rich man’s son. Like most humans, Rachel has no idea shifters exist, so she’s baffled by the pull she feels toward Dirk ... an attraction that goes far beyond the physical and can’t be denied. When he leaves the ball, she feels compelled to find him. An agonizing decision The more time they spend together, the stronger their bond becomes … but that only makes things worse. A shifter of Dirk’s status is forbidden to mate with a human, and she doesn’t even know what he is. When a bear from the other clan attacks Rachel, Dirk is forced to defend her, leaving him with an impossible choice. He can keep his mate and be banished as a rogue shifter, leaving himself and Rachel in constant danger … or he can renounce his claim on the woman he’s come to love in order to keep her safe. Is fate so cruel as to let them find each other, then force them apart forever? Alpha Unmasked is a standalone paranormal romance with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

    From boy-thief to pirate, mercenary and outlaw, ultimately becoming King of Aquilonia, Conan carved a red swathe through lost cities and unexplored jungles, facing hideous horrors or supernatural menaces with nothing more than a sharp sword in his hand and a beautiful woman at his side. Collected together here in the chronological order they were first published are Robert E. Howard's definitive stories of Conan, exactly as he wrote them, as fresh, atmospheric and vibrant today as they were when they originally appeared in the pulp magazines of more than seventy years ago.

    While most are worried about how to catch a husband, raise a family, or simply survive, Annora cares only about killing dragons. When she encounters Elian, a handsome stranger who takes an interest in her, she treats him just like any other man – with contempt. However, she soon realizes that he is more than just another man – he is a competitor. Elian is very open and honest, but it is clear that he is withholding information that could sway Annora’s perception of him. As he takes it upon himself to protect her from what he considers a reckless life style, Elian becomes both protective and possessive of her. Elian may have saved her, but his motives are unclear. It doesn’t sound like he is out to kill, so why is he also on the dragon’s trail? WARNING: This ebook contains mature themes and language, intended for 18+ readers only. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a stand alone romance with an HEA. This ebook contains mature themes and language, intended for 18+ readers only.

    But when Ren fails to show up for their rendezvous at The Wolf’s Den Tavern, Honora, always the investigator, goes searching for him and is pulled into a dangerous adventure where elemental magic rules. She will need all her Mayhem talents—and some help from tavern owner Roslyn Van Harbor and an eccentric gang of magical ax-wielding earth wizards—if she’s going to rescue Ren and set things right in the fabled North Woods. The Ice Witch is a stand-alone, short story that fits perfectly between the second Mayhem Sisters Novel, Fly By Midnight, and Midsummer Night’s Mayhem, the third in the series.