Lives on the line. A new magic user. What could go wrong? Finn Foster just found out that magic is real, she can wield it, and now she’s the housekeeper of a magical house. Sure, to wind up here, she’s had to survive homicidal hail spells, enchanted discoing cacti, and assorted hocus pocus. But now that she’s housekeeper, Finn is ready to settle in and embrace her new magical path.But Finn hardly has a chance to get her feet wet before she gets thrown into the deep end without any floaties. Between the house’s mysterious errands, unexpected guests popping in, and the council trying to rain on her parade, Finn is barely treading water. With time running out, and magical enemies everywhere, it's time for Finn to sink or swim. A Pool for Keeping, an urban fantasy that appeals to young adult and new adult fans alike, is the second book in the Housekeeper series. This addictive adventure transports readers to an enchanted world filled with unusual magical characters and the kind of strong female protagonist you want as a best friend. Fans of hard-to-put-down mystery suspense and humorous magical action adventures will love Matteson Wynn’s Housekeeper series. Dive into the magic and grab your copy today! Follow Finn’s adventures from the beginning! Book 1: A House for Keeping *Fans of the transportive magical realism in the Harry Potter series and the relatable heroines in the Mercy Thompson and Edge series will be drawn to Matteson Wynn’s smart, humorous urban fantasy.*

    Yet. No one believes six-year-old Billie Mae knows how she died. Archivist Andrea Kelley's best friend, police detective William Taka, doesn't believe Andrea is actually conversing with a ghost. And Andrea can’t believe Taka has been doubting her sanity, that she’s scared for the safety of a little girl’s ghost, and that she’s really discovered the trail of a serial killer. Until... She’s relying on strangers to help her investigate, being followed by both the local crime boss and the state cops, fielding phone calls from the dead, and skulking around in the dark, unsure of anyone who crosses her path. Did Billie Mae’s mom kill her? Has Andrea’s bestie run away when she needs him most? How many more kids and cops will die before everyone believes it’s murder?

    He had more than his share of adventure when he went by the name Will Scarlet and fought corrupt authority alongside Robin Hood. Now widowed and alone, and estranged from his adult daughter, he has taken holy orders and sought refuge in a remote Benedictine abbey.But even there, trouble and violence follow him. The abbot, John de Wystow, is a good man but a weak leader, and easily undermined by a faction of dissident monks. When the rebels, led by Brother Robert de Flexburgh, run riot in the local community—stealing, drinking, fornicating—Scaflock’s old instincts return. Reluctantly taking charge of the abbey’s moral defence, he finds himself embroiled in a series of fierce clashes with de Flexburgh’s rowdy gang.As the abbey’s tranquillity is shattered, its cloisters stained with blood, Scaflock is forced to reconsider the direction of his life. Has he really left Will Scarlet behind him—or has he simply been running from reality?

     Eve is an 18,000 word novella originally published as an ongoing story on Reddit's Writing Prompts forum by user /u/psycho_alpaca.

    Seventeen years ago, five knights from Earth's magical twin, Theia, entombed Asmodeous the Pale, Lord of the Drynn, in Skip's town. Now that the dark god is free again, he's anxious to get back home and finish the war he began…to enslave all life. It begins with killing the knights who trapped him.Deprived of their magic, the knights fight back using whatever they can get their hands on, from samurai swords to assault rifles. Skip gets reluctantly drawn in to their struggle while Donovan Smith, the demi-god murderer whom Skip was after in the first place, plots to find the Lord of the Underworld and butcher him on his own.Together, these unlikely heroes might just save the world. If they don't kill each other first.

    Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, the City of Dreaming Books, Der Schrecksenmeister, Flowergrazer, Ensel and Krete. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: The 13 Lives of Captain Bluebear is a 1999 fantasy novel by German writer and cartoonist Walter Moers which details the numerous lives of a human-sized bear with blue fur. The novel was originally written in German, but an English translation was published in the United Kingdom in 2000 and in the United States in 2005. The 13 Lives of Captain Bluebear follow the adventures of the character Bluebear in the first half of his 27 lives. The novel intersperses Bluebears narrative with excerpts from The Encyclopedia of Marvels, Life Forms and Other Phenomena of Zamonia and its Environs by Professor Abdullah Nightingale, who bacterially transmits it into Bluebears brain. The plot is set in the fictional continent of Zamonia (location of several other novels by Walter Moers) on Earth before the "great descent" in which Zamonia and many other continents sink beneath the waves. Many of the creatures encountered by Bluebear in the novel are taken from myths, folktales, prehistory, and Moers' imagination, among them Gryphons, Maenads, Trolls, Yetis, and Pterodactyls. Nearing the end of the novel, the mythical city of Atlantis disappears from Earth, an event witnessed by Bluebear. In Bluebear's Life 1, where he is a tiny baby, he is floating in a walnut shell in the north Zamonian sea, next to the Malmstrom, a mysterious and giant whirlpool that all the world's sailors take care to avoid. Bluebear is saved by a diminutive crew of Minipirates, who are very mysterious, adopt the bear as their good-luck charm. Aboard their tiny craft he learns mu...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=676340

     When a surprise visit from Lorenzo sets off a downward spiral of events, Jade’s ripped from the confines of Edge’s home and plunged into the madness of the Triad. Confused by the turn of events, Jade is only sure of four things: My name is Jade Kinsley. I’m 20 years old. I’m an Enforcer for the Triad. And I have a debt to settle with Original Coven. Will Jade be able to break through the spell her Grandfather put on her and remember who she is, or will she become just another piece in Lorenzo’s game?

    As his own powers grow he must use them to fight for his freedom and the fate of his home. The Realm of Light wants control and the Realm of Darkness wants destruction and both want him to be their servant. With the help of some new friends and a lot of luck, he may be able to keep himself from their clutches long enough realize his destiny. But if he does unlock his full power it could mean the end of everything he knows…

    After obtaining an ancient Chinese empire's legacy, Zhao Fu uses his intellect and resourcefulness to develop his own empire from a tiny village. In a world with Goblins, Kobolds, Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, Angels, Orcs, Demons, Tauren, Dragons, Mermen, and Undead, join Zhao Fu in his journey as he builds his empire. If you enjoy kingdom-building, game-like alternate worlds, incorporation of ancient history, and strategy, you'll be sure to love The Lord's Empire! What can you do after buying and reading this ebook? Find more chapters at http://gravitytales.com/novel/the-lor... or stay ahead of everyone else through TLE's Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/mrvoltaire

    "For the next twenty-five days, one of you will do something as a surprise for the school. Vinny, for obvious reasons, you get the big day.""What obvious reasons?" Vinny asks, looking up from his newest cookbook. "Wait, what's going on?""You're cooking Christmas dinner," Lance says as everyone else starts laughing."The rest of you, well, I just tossed you onto random days," Nico says, shrugging. "You can ask for help, as long as you keep it to two people or less, and pay them back in return. If you ask an adult, you can only have that one adult, and you owe them a favor of equal size. That means no asking me to make the entire school new computers--you can't afford to pay me back. Don't ask Zoe for that, either, because she will have you as an indentured slave until they're paid off.""I wouldn't--" Zoe protests. "Well, no more than a year, at most," she adds thoughtfully. Every single kid in the room silently swears not to ask at that statement.*This book also contains shorts:Christmas Eve: Jack goes back to the start on Christmas EveChristmas Diamonds: Nico goes hunting for diamondsDeadly Darlin's: Skye, Doris, and Ariel move (back) to Texas

    USA Today bestselling author Gemma James brings you season one of the Zodiac Queen, a unique and steamy tale of a young queen caught between twelve signs.Twelve men, a virgin queen, one arranged marriage…Cancer: Vance Morgan—a kinky doctor with an exhibitionist streak.Leo: Sebastian Stone—the rebellious and passionate man whose ocean eyes set me ablaze.Virgo: Miles Sinclair—the virgin of the brotherhood and someone not to be crossed.Twelve men from twelve houses, and I must spend a month with each one, yielding to their desires and shedding my innocence so long as my virtue remains intact.Because the men of the Zodiac Brotherhood want a virgin queen after the last month concludes, and my uncle plans to auction me off to the highest bidder.Out of the twelve men on this island, only one has my heart.And only one can claim my hand in marriage.If only it were up to me to decide.Includes Cancer, Leo, and Virgo.

    Along for the ride is Lisbeth Salamander, famed computer hacker and Pippi Longstocking look-alike. This 40 page parody takes on the Stieg Larssonn phenomenon, mystery-thrillers, and "the girl":"Tell me more about her, Gustaf. I want to know what makes her tick.""She weighs about 62 pounds or 28.1227269 kilograms as we say here in Sweden, although we wouldn't really say it in English unless this was a story written primarily for English readers.""Go on.""Very skinny, smallish breasts, bony legs, knocked knees, flaming orange hair when she doesn't have it dyed. Many body piercings and tattoos. Never smiles. Bad teeth. Underarm hair, also orange. Sometimes has some pretty bad gas. It's the whole package that fits together well. Most men find her attractive."-----Blöhärdt and the girl solve some old mysteries along the way including what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, and who is really buried in Elvis's grave at Graceland.

    The favour is returned when the scout is saved by the Cheyenne and given mercy, but when he falls in love with the girl he saved he knows that the tribe will never allow them to be together. They escape, but are forced to abandon their flight when they encounter an omen telling them that she is pledged to another. This frontier tale soon becomes a violent present day manhunt through the Wild West. Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Veteran.

    After all, he needed that kind of wife to help him escape from his sordid past.Celeste Martin made a deal with Solomon. She'd be his ugly wife. All she wanted in return was his name. She was in love with her sister's fiance and he would be the only man she'd ever love.Solomon had no idea that he'd find his wife fascinating. Celeste didn't know that one taste from her husband's lips would have her wanting more. Yet many strange women were between them.Could Solomon ever escape from his past?Could Celeste ever love her husband?

    “Eggman” Robotnik and the rest of the cast of the comics and SEGA games in this first-of-its-kind Best of Sonic the Hedgehog graphic novel collection! After nearly twenty years of comics, specials and mini-series, Sonic the Hedgehog has hundreds of great stories to his name. Through the laughs and thrills, the action and adventure, the highs and lows, some stories stand out among the rest. Join us as the Archie Comics Sonic Team picks their favorite stories from the history of the series and presents them in this thematic must-have collection! Included in this collection are "Mecha Madness" (featured in Sonic Archives 10 and Sonic Select 2), chosen by writer Ian Flynn; the finale to "Endgame" (featured in Sonic Archives 13), chosen by artist Patrick Spaziante; "Order from Chaos" (from Sonic the Hedgehog issues 168-169) chosen by artist Tracy Yardley!; and "Future Tense" (from Sonic the Hedgehog issue 215), chosen by artist Jamal Peppers. Don't miss out on this collection of the best Sonic stories to date, chosen by the most popular Sonic creators!