Elrod's picked 15 of her favorite short works for this multi-genre collection spanning 15 years of publication.Also included is a never before published VAMPIRE FILES story, featuring her urban fantasy vampire PI, Jack Fleming!Each story has been polished afresh for this anthology, with pages of new material added.More information -- and previews of the stories! -- may be found at her website vampwriter-dot-com.Titles:1. A Night at the (Horse) Opera (Vampire Files, Fleming)2. The Breath of Bast (Vampire Files), Ecsott)3. Bossman (Original mystery, no vamps)4. Slaughter (Vampire Files, Fleming & Gordy)5. The Devil's Mark (Original historical vampire)6. You'll Catch Your Death (Vampire Files)7. Izzy's Shoe-In (Historical mystery introducing Izzy DeLeon, fearless girl reporter)8. The Quick Way Down (Vampire Files, Fleming and Gordy)9. The Scottish Ploy (Original romance/mystery)10. Grave-Robbed (Vampire Files, Fleming)11. The Company You Keep (Vampire Files, Gabriel Kroun)12. Death in Dover (Jonathan Barrett before he got vamped, historical mystery)13. Drawing Dead (ALL NEW VAMPIRE FILES, Fleming)14. King of Shreds and Patches (Hamlet from a different point of view, mystery)15. Fugitive (Science fiction/space opera)16. BONUS STORY! The Wind Breathes Cold (Quincey Morris: Vampire)

    over one million words of divinely (and diabolically) inspired fantasy, adventure, and romance.Join the freshest voices in urban fantasy and paranormal, New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors, on unique journeys to heaven, hell, and worlds beyond.

    That was before her husband divorced her, her boss let her go, and her grandmother died. Forty wasn’t supposed to look like this.When Morgen heads up to the small town of Bellrock, Washington, to settle the estate, she looks forward to taking a peaceful break from life and figuring out what she’s going to do next.But peace isn’t to be had. The old farmhouse is full of witch paraphernalia, a fearsome werewolf has claimed the property, and contrary to what the family was told, Grandma didn’t die of natural causes.Embroiled in a mystery, and heir to powers she knew nothing about, Morgen must turn to the only person who might be able to help: the werewolf who threatened to rip her throat out for trespassing.This isn’t the fresh start on life that Morgen had in mind.

     Going on TV is supposed to advance my career, but things go wrong. Like vampires and zombies kind of wrong. My name is Sasha Urban, and this is how I learned what I am.

    Hamilton’s bestselling novel, Kiss the Dead. You’d think I’d get used to seeing such a beautiful man and knowing he was mine, but it never grew old, as if his beauty and the fact that he was mine, and I was his, would forever surprise me. With a vampire like Jean Claude around, it’s far too easy for Anita Blake to doubt her own appearance—and the hold it has on those who love her. But one hot tub and two incredibly sexy men—Jean Claude and Asher—will make her feel like the most lusted-after woman alive…or undead. Not bad for a mere human… “Hamilton remains one of the most inventive and exciting writers in the paranormal field.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Includes an excerpt of Kiss the Dead, the new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel

    The victims are innocents, chosen to pit the shifter Pack and the vampire Coven against one another.If war breaks out, humanity won’t survive.But controlling fire is my thing, and I won’t let that happen.I’m a mercenary, but this is about so much more than money. It’s my city and someone is threatening it. I won’t stop until I find them.When the good guys start to look more like villains, I have no choice but to question everything I knew, including the people I thought I could trust.It turns out the humans might not be as helpless as they seem, and I'm in more danger than I realized.If you like K.F. Breene, Annette Marie, Patricia Briggs, McKenzie Hunter, CN Crawford, Leia Stone, or Linsey Hall, then buckle up buttercup, and get ready for a fast paced adventure you won't be able to put down.

    A steamy paranormal romance set in the small town of Somewhere, Texas!This collection includes:To Save A Mate: Somewhere, TXWhen an accident threatens Kara’s life, Luke risks everything to save the girl he’s always loved — even if it means revealing his inner wolf…Luke’s wolf insists he find a way to claim her as his own, but Kara’s broken heart will fight him every step of the way.To Love A Mate: Somewhere, TXCan a small-town cowboy win the heart of a woman who doesn’t have one?Surviving charity functions by day and automatic weapons and death threats by night, Emma Carrington learned to be as hard as the men her daddy hired to protect her. Hell, she even carried a military grade stun gun in her Prada bag and could shoot just as well as any of her ex-military bodyguards if the need arose.When a failed kidnapping attempt forces her to hide out in Somewhere, Texas, Emma finds herself stranded, floundering through cow patties, and desperate for a car. Who better to “borrow” from than the sexy naked man she sees turn into a wolf and leave his perfectly good pickup truck available for use, right?When a beautiful blonde woman trespasses on the ranch and sees him transform, Noah knows he only has two choices —claim her or let the pack erase her memories. But even as Noah fights to save her, Emma’s past is hot on her heels and out for more than memories.To Win A Mate: Somewhere, TXJared VonBrandt wasn’t looking for a mate, but when the amber-eyed New Orleans beauty, Elise Blanchard is staring at him from a charity auction block, he can’t deny his wolf’s desire. He’ll win her at any cost.Elise Blanchard has never met another werewolf.She spends her full-moon nights locked in her apartment, hoping the neighbors don’t see her shift.A twist of fate gives her an opportunity she’ll risk everything to claim.

    Not all of them are working for me.At forty-two I’ve had my share of ups and downs. Relatively normal, except when the definition of normal changes… drastically.NYT Bestselling Romance Author: CheckAmazing besties: CheckLovely home: CheckPet cat named Thick Stella who wants to kill me: CheckWacky Tabacky Dealing Aunt: CheckCheating husband banging the weather girl on our kitchen table: CheckNasty Divorce: Oh yesCharacters from my novels coming to life: Umm… yesCrazy: PossiblyFour months of wallowing in embarrassed depression should be enough. I’m beginning to realize that no one is who they seem to be, and my life story might be spinning out of my control. It’s time to take a shower, put on a bra, and wear something other than sweatpants. Difficult, but doable.With my friends—real and imaginary—by my side, I need to edit my life before the elusive darkness comes for all of us.The plot is no longer fiction. It’s my reality, and I’m writing a happy ever after no matter what. I just have to find the write hook.

    “Signatures of the Dead” tells the story of the vampire massacre that made Jane Yellowrock a household name.And in “Cajun with Fangs,” Jane makes a new friend who turns out to have old enemies, and finds herself drawn into a vicious blood feud, fueled by dark magic and ancient grudges.

    This is NOT a full-length book. Parts must be read in order to enjoy the story. ***Wicked Wolf Shifters serial, Part 1Cassandra Wakefield's life is about to  change. College student and regular girl, she also comes from an  isolated mountain town that for centuries has been under the thrall of a very wicked pack of wolf shifters. If the insatiably hungry shifters don't get their annual female sacrifice, all hell will break loose on the town. This year, Cassie lost the draw. She's about to face down a magnificent pack of sexy alpha men. Despite her nervousness, she's undeniably intrigued...and deeply aroused. Steely-eyed yet magnetic alpha Trevor, outrageously hot, flirtatious Mac, and drop-dead gorgeous Finn, who has headlined her most secret fantasies for years now, await her.Pack Alpha Trevor Reginald doesn't do three things: drama, hysterics, or emotions. Pack dynamics are for drama, town surrenders tend to get annoyingly hysterical, andemotions--well, emotions are useless things for which Trevor reserves no time. He's here with his packmates for one reason only: to take the surrender's virginity and thus ensure his pack's continued healthy existence. But bringing the lovely Cassandra into the Wicked Mountain Wolf Pack stirs something in Trevor he hasn't felt in years. Something he will fight tooth and claw to resist before it overwhelms his reason and his very way of life ....Because Cassie and all the wolf shifters are in for a huge surprise - one that Cassie might not survive after she is surrendered to the pack.To the reader: This story contains hot sex with all the dirty details, naughty language, characters who say "oh, hell yeah" to the fun times, the potential edges of shifter violence, and yes, a cliffhanger. If that isn't your thing, this story probably won't be either. But if all that sounds great, this short piece of Sexy Shifter Smut is for you!coming soon in the Wicked Wolf Shifters serial:Part 2: Claimed by the PackPart 3: Taken by the PackPart 4: Mated to the Pack

    Louis County Police Department's Vice Squad when she's bitten by a vampire in a supernatural brothel. Her day only gets worse from there. She wakes up in the morgue and discovers that her partner is dead. Before the sun rises, she realizes she is too. Jenna vows to continue their investigation until justice is served, but a werewolf squatter, an unexpected visit from her estranged sister, and a nosy FBI agent stand in her way. Not to mention her fresh aversion to sunlight and a thirst for something a little stiffer than revenge.

    P. Kelner return with an all-new story collection of postcards from the edge of the paranormal world...It really can be an endless summer - if you're immortal. Though a vampire would be ill-advised to take a cruise to Bermuda, the possibilities for getting away from it all - and maybe snacking on some unsuspecting tourist - are many...Sookie Stackhouse and her vampire friend Pam take a weekend getaway to Mississippi in #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Two Blondes." And when they end up in a shady gentleman's club, to escape in one piece they need to do something that wasn't on their itinerary - something involving a stage, a pole, and very little clothing.New York Times bestselling author Katie MacAlister's "The Perils of Effrijim" follow a demon whose vacation in Paris is disrupted when he's banished to another plane, thus kicking off a crazy dimension-hopping road trip across Europe.Protecting an heiress from supernatural hit men isn't Cat and Bones's idea of a relaxing vacation in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's "One for the Money," but it could get worse. And it does - when Cat's mother shows up.With ten more original tales, editors Harris and Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations frightening, funny, and touching - for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque.

    Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she's able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn't understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It's their fault she turned into one of them...right? Jalmari's hatred for his old-man intensifies when he's ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run; there's no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst, Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan's only savior. The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she'll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way.

    P. Kelner, editors of Home Improvement: Undead Edition? Your worst school nightmares—taking that math test you never studied for, finding yourself naked in school assembly, not knowing which door to enter—will pale in comparison to these thirteen original stories that take academic anxiety to whole new realms. In #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris’s story, "Playing Possum," Sookie Stackhouse brings enough birthday cupcakes for her nephew's entire class but finds she's one short when the angry ex-boyfriend of the school secretary shows up. When her guardian, Kate Daniels, sends her undercover to a school for exceptional children, teenaged Julie learns an all-new definition of "exceptional," in New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews's "Magic Tests." For those who like fangs with their forensics, New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder offers "VSI," in which FBI agent Claire is tested as never before in a school for Vampire Scene Investigation. And in New York Times bestselling author Thomas Sniegoski's "The Bad Hour," Remy Chandler and his dog Marlowe find evil unleashed in an obedience school. You'll need more than an apple to stave off the creatures in these and nine other stories. Remember your first lesson: resistance is fruitless! Includes stories by: ILONA ANDREWS, AMBER BENSON, RHYS BOWEN, MIKE CAREY, CHARLAINE HARRIS, DONALD HARSTAD, STEVE HOCKENSMITH, NANCY HOLDER, FAITH HUNTER, TONI L.P. KELNER, MARJORIE LIU, JONATHAN MABERRY, THOMAS SNIEGOSKI

    Banks, Kelley Armstrong, and many more! Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. But with the popularity of shows and movies, such as "The Walking Dead," "True Blood," "Twilight," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," audiences have demonstrated their love for the genre--especially accompanied with a dose of humor to tone down the terror."Blood Lite III: Aftertaste" continues to put the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales. Edited by Horror Writers Association founding member and award-winning author Kevin J. Anderson, the stories vary in tone from wry to downright laugh-out-loud funny. Featuring such well-known horror writers as Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christopher Golden, and many others, this collection of tales is perfect for anyone who enjoys being entertained as much as they love a good scare.Contents:I was a teenage Bigfoot / Jim Butcher --Blood-red greens / Joel A. Sutherland --V plates / Kelley Armstong --Put on a happy face / Christopher Golden --Devil's contract / E.S. Magill --Nine-tenths of the law / Eric James Stone --Scrumptious bone bread / Jeff Strand --Let that be a lesson to you / Mark Onspaugh --Mint in box / Mike Baron --Great zombie invasion of 1979 / J.G. Faherty --Dating after the apocalypse / Stephen Dorato --Typecast / Jeff Ryan --Making the cut / Mike Resnick, Lezli Robyn --Acknowledgments / Will Ludwigsen --Mannequin / Heather Graham --Short term / Daniel Pyle --Distressed travelers / Nina Kiriki Hoffman --Bayou brawl / L.A. Banks --Steeple people / John Alfred Taylor --For sale / David Sakmyster --Man who could not be bothered to die / Norman Prentiss --Last demon / Don D'Ammassa --Misadventure to call your own / Adrian Ludens --Smoke and mirrorballs / Chris Abbey --Brians!!! / D.L. Snell --Still life / Ken Lilli-Paetz --Day in the life / Sherrilyn