Desperate for warmth, food, and shelter, she finds what looks like an abandoned house. Inside, she discovers a Christmas that’s been left behind—complete with faded decorations on a brittle Christmas tree and dusty stockings filled with loss. Someone spies smoke coming from the chimney of the empty house and alerts Dr. Luke Griffin, the owner. He rarely visits the home that harbors so many bittersweet memories for him. But no one is going to violate the space so near and dear to his heart. Then Luke meets Hope, and he knows this mother-to-be desperately needs help. With no room at any local inn, Luke invites Hope to stay, unaware of the danger following her. While running from the darkness, the embers of Christmas present are stirred with an unexpected birth and a holiday romance. But will Hope and Luke live to see a Christmas future? Fiction/Christian/Suspense

    He’s not their uncle. He’s not even related to them. In fact, he was born thousands of miles from the Philippines, the place he now calls home. No, Wade’s none of those things. He’s their Papasan. He runs the go-go bar where the girls dance and entertain. But that doesn’t make them any less than a family.And rule number one: don’t mess with the family.PERFECT GENTLEMAN is a 6000 word short story that originally appeared in the KILLER YEAR: STORIES TO DIE FOR anthology edited by Lee Child.

    As a nymph, Scotty needs some level of intimacy to survive. Watching two of his closest friends thrive in a true bond made him realize he would never be free of his mate's hold. He has sworn off women, letting himself fade away. Toryn would do anything to save Scotty. The solution involves Isadora and he doesn't know how to ask. Even if they do restore his health, it's only a temporary solution. Isadora knows something is wrong with Scotty. With some digging she finds a solution, one she won't attempt alone. The question is, can she convince both men she can break the ties. Bonds of friendship are only so strong-they will have to test those limits to save Scotty from his cruel mate.

    His destination today is Pier 13, the ocean front amusement park his family visited every summer when he was a child, and his purpose for coming here is simple: he wants to understand why so many people have been dying in such violent acts... but that might not be the only answer he finds at the old docks.Running Rain:In the year since their son was the first victim of a serial killer known as the The Riverside Strangler, a devastated husband and wife have tried to pretend life can somehow be normal again... but the secrets they're keeping from each other are pushing their relationship to the brink. To make matters worse, The Riverside Strangler was never caught, and now the husband is obsessed with running along the river at night, searching for the truth about why his son died: a truth he may not really want to know...Answering the Call:A young man's very unusual job is taking a heavy toll on him. He stays in homes during the owner's funeral. Someone needs to be there to answer the phone, receive deliveries, and deter thieves who might have seen the obituary in the newspaper and decided this would be a good time for a break-in. The young man has seen a lot of strange things over the years in the homes of the dead, and sometimes his job is truly a matter of life and death...The Punishment Room:Assuming Michael manages to escape the Punishment Room with his sanity and his life, he isn't sure if he'll be able to go on living with the knowledge of what he did to survive... but then again, that's a dilemma he wouldn't mind confronting, given the finality of the alternative.What They Left Behind:There's something lurking in the basement of the old Timlico office building. This thing is evil, the result of the tragic fire that killed dozens of Timlico employees and sent that business spiraling into bankruptcy -- or maybe the thing was the cause of the fire. Scott and a few friends will learn more about this thing before the day is over, including some very bad news for everyone: the thing in the basement is still hungry.A Dreamlike State:Daniel is driving back to his hometown for the first time in six years because his father is dying, but he knows there's more than a sick patriarch waiting for him in the house where he grew up. He has a heart full of questions, and all of his childhood ghosts are patiently waiting for him... and they have a few questions of their own.Where Sunlight Sleeps:A grieving father and his young son, both dealing with their loss in their own ways. A Saturday ritual, retracing the last steps of the woman they loved more than any other. A search for the place where the sunlight sleeps, where bad feelings can be released. And a trip down a memory lane lined with jagged edges and vicious traps that just won't let them go.(The only short story currently listed on Amazon that is missing from this bundle is "The Silent Attic," which is an experimental piece closely related to "A Dreamlike Sleep." If you like "A Dreamlike Sleep", be sure to download "The Silent Attic" to see another glimpse of that same world.)

     Cooper Harris, head of the SCVC Taskforce and nicknamed The Beast, isn’t afraid of anything…except that the woman who rocks his world may be about to dump him. Celina is acting distant and secretive while an engagement ring burns a hole in Cooper’s pocket. Whisking her away for a romantic weekend at a Northern California vineyard, he hopes to reignite the spark between them and get up the nerve to finally ask her to marry him. Feisty crime scene photographer Celina Davenport hates keeping secrets. The baby growing inside her is cause for celebration, but Cooper has a son from a previous marriage and claims he doesn’t want more children because of his dangerous job. Celina understands what makes The Beast tick, and she also knows he’ll be a great dad to their child. She only needs the perfect moment to break the news. Before either can come clean, Cooper and Celina stumble upon human bones and realize the beautiful vineyard hides a dark and haunting past filled with love, betrayal and murder. Can they unravel the mystery buried in the Northern California hills and bring a killer to justice? Or will the secrets they’re keeping from each other put them in deeper danger than they could ever imagine? Other books in the series include: Deadly Pursuit (the first Cooper and Celina story!) Deadly Deception Deadly Force Deadly Intent

    Her nemesis, Lincoln Rothchild, realized too late how wrong he’d been to torment her.Now, seven years later, Lincoln can no longer bear the guilt of the cruelty he and his friends visited on the gentle brainiac and uses all his resources to track her down.KC goes by Kitra now and that isn’t the only thing that’s changed...She’s grown up in more ways than one and when she makes him a dark proposal to atone for his sins, he can’t say no. She will punish him but she will not permanently harm him. At the end of three days, he will be free to go with her forgiveness. As she wraps him in pleasure and pain...he isn’t certain he will ever have the will to leave.A steamy paranormal romance by Sabrina Rue.

     The second tale, "The Candle in the Cloud", is a novella of dark fantasy which follows three children who discover a magical candle that transports them to a world where a plague-cloud is destroying everything in its wake. These two tales, the first ever written by Clive, are offered here for the very first time. Their production has been lovingly supervised by Clive himself to ensure that these are not mere books, but works of art to be cherished. Complete with original illustrations and appendices on select editions, First Tales is sure to delight everyone from longtime fans to new readers. In his own words: "These two stories represent the two essential structures of fantastique literature. ’The Wood on the Hill’ is about an incursion of unearthly elements into an approximation of our world. ’The Candle in the Cloud’ is about a journey taken by people from our world into another reality. Yin and Yang, if you like. Forces pulling in opposing directions but to achieve the same end: Revelation." Clive Barker (2013)

    Yeah, this might need more than a bottle of whiskey or two to get over. My two best friends can’t even help with this one. So, I escape to Spain for a two-week working holiday, open-minded and ready for some new adventures. However, life has a funny way of turning everything on its head, and my two weeks away makes me realise. I had everything I wanted right in front of my eyes and was oblivious to it all. On my return, things have changed, developments I had not expected. My relationship with my best friends will never be the same again. The end result is nowhere near what I was expecting, and I’m not prepared for it at all. A light-hearted, humorous, hot and steamy MMF Ménage Romance, with no cheating and an HEA.

    While Aiden Stone, lives with an illusion as a charming and arrogant playboy who changes girlfriend every day, is looking for his destined mate anxiously. What his real identity is the werewolf Alpha.What happens when the unnoticed girl becomes the focus of the heartthrob playboy?

     When a UFO is sighted hovering in Branson Falls, Ella and Sophie make it their personal mission to meet some aliens. With those two scheming together, shenanigans are bound to happen and Kate decides she better go along for damage control. Waiting for a potential abduction is pretty dull…until one of Kate’s sexy suitors shows up. Suddenly, a UFO is no longer the most exciting thing happening in the mountains above Branson Falls.

    Previously published under ISBN 978-1-7321153-1-6. She is the only female hoplite in Spartan history. She is a royal guard to King Leonidas. She is the Iron Edge. In an age when men rule, Halcyon rises above and is the master of her own life. At home, Halcyon controls her lands and her personal slaves with a strict hand, until the day she purchases an unusual slave. Thora is a fair skinned woman who stands taller than the Greek gods, with hair the color of gold, and blue eyes that rival the skies. Halcyon must own the unusual woman, but she is hardly prepared for the thunder that follows. Step back into the glory of Ancient Sparta when the city-state becomes a formidable military power. Learn about Sparta’s unique social system including women’s dominant roles in both the house and in public affairs, and follow one slave owner’s journey as she learns to accept her slave’s spirit. Thora is a 45,000-word 3rd-person omniscient Historical Lesbian Romance Fiction novel. It includes a glossary for minor Greek terminology. No rape. No BDSM. No cliffhanger. Happy ending.

    A free digital short story from the author of Falling. A couple have been found dead in their living room.Was it a simple domestic misunderstanding or is there more to it than meets the eye...?

    Della Rose desperately needs a Christmas miracle to make it back home in time for her sons’ holiday concert. It’s just that the single mom never imagined Santa would arrive in the form of her plane’s seatmate, the grumpy, gorgeous Roman Everson. With flights delayed, Della’s out of options. She needs Roman to drive her back to Somerset Lake, even if his un-jolly mood threatens to drain her Christmas cheer.The season may have Roman feeling grinch-like, but he needs a favor, too, so he makes a deal with Della. In exchange for a ride home, she’ll pose as Roman’s adoring girlfriend in front of his family. As the pair set off on a journey though the North Carolina mountains with a rescue dog named Jingle, they soon learn they have more in common than either would have imagined possible. Could it be true that opposites attract? And will the chance of a happily-ever-after make this the most wonderful time of year after all?

    Can Angela find it and help a young couple celebrate their own happy Christmas? This is a short story of ten thousand words, or seven chapters—just right for an afternoon curled up on the sofa!

    When Tami finds out who Scott’s accuser is, we can only watch as her whole life starts to fall apart. We see many of the events of The Rose Petal Beach through Tami’s eyes, but Beside The Rose Petal Beach will give you another perspective on the story. You’ll see how one of the minor - but important - characters in the book experiences some of the key scenes … And how he is slowly being changed by spending time with the Tami and the others.You don’t need to have already read The Rose Petal Beach to enjoy Beside The Rose Petal Beach, but if you have, it’ll hopefully add another dimension to your understanding of the book.