He’s careful to project a semblance of normalcy, keeping the suffocating darkness locked inside. As much as he wishes he could focus on girls, sports, and cars like other seventeen-year-olds, nothing distracts him from his own demons or shines through.Until Nara Collins crosses his path. The blonde fascinates and intrigues him, giving him a measure of peace he’s never felt before.When Ethan discovers there’s more to Nara than she allows others to see, that she might have a unique secret of her own, suddenly his world comes into focus.Note: ETHAN is a novella PREQUEL to BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. This story will give some of Ethan’s background and lead up until the day he and Nara talk for the first time.

    Enjoy a taste of The Amoveo Legend in Sara Humphreys’ riveting paranormal romance short story expanding on the world of the Amoveo—beautiful, secretive shapeshifters whose very existence is threatened by an age-old enemy and warring factions within the clans.In this free promotional tale, Boris Zankoff is a shapeshifter from the Tiger Clan who wants no part of the burgeoning civil war among the Amoveo, But when his human mate lands on his doorstep in desperate need of his help, apathy is no longer an option

    But Newberry faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?Vixen by Jill Myles - A shifter novella of 15,000 words: Miko's denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn't want to choose between both men...it wants them both. Kitten-tiger & the Monk by Carolyn Crane - A Disillusionists novella of 20,000 words: Sophia Sidway, Midcity's most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption...but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all.

    Niall O’Connell, master sword maker of the old Kingdom of Ciarrai, hates Fae, resenting the time when Shifters were little better than Fae slaves. But Alanna's heartbreaking story and her beauty are difficult to resist. Together, she and Niall forge a sword that changes Shifter history, at the same time forging an unbreakable bond between their hearts.This novella is prequel to the Shifters Unbound series, a standalone story that tells how the Sword of the Guardian came to be.This is a 10,000 word novella. It also appears in print in the Mammoth Book of Irish Romance.

    He’ll show up again in the series, but what about in the meantime? What does a powerful, four-hundred-year-old vampire with a serious grudge against his old mass murdering master to do when he suddenly finds himself with too much time on his hands? Hang around Faerie, where there’s nothing to eat (Fey blood=nasty) just because our intrepid heroine parked him there?Uh, no. Not so much. Because Tomas is obsessed, and has been for pretty much his whole existence, with one thing: taking out Alejandro, the aforementioned murdering bastard. In “The Day of the Dead,” he slips back into our world to confront his nemesis, only to find unexpected help in the form of a band of magical mercenaries. Think the A-Team with spells and potions instead of (well, actually in addition to) guns and knives and things that go boom. It makes for a lot of mayhem down Mexico way.NOTE: “The Day of the Dead” is a short story connected to the New York Times bestselling Cassandra Palmer series of urban fantasy novels. It was first published in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (2008) and is now being offered as a free ebook. It features Tomas, a character from Touch the Dark (2006), the first Cassandra Palmer novel.

    But one thing he can never do is fall in love…with a mortal woman.Searching for her brother in Scotland—and succumbing to the freezing cold—Cassie Hunter awakens to find herself in the arms of a magnificent Highland warrior. Across his chest is the tattoo of a fiery dragon. And in his heart is a burning passion that, once unleashed, will consume them both…body and soul.This is a story of destiny and desire, magic and mystery, warriors and lovers.These are the forbidden cravings of the Dark Kings.

    He and his partners have never met a case they couldn't crack...until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn't explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny. This book contains devious schemes, epic battles, forbidden love between a shapeshifter and a spellcaster, nosy secondary characters, furniture-endangering sex and a woman fighting to choose her own destiny.

     Being different was never easy. After 27 years of living as a social outcast, Selma has become quite accustomed to the isolation and lack of dreams for a happy future. What she's never gotten used to are the demons she sees; the dangerous creatures masquerading as humans, blending into the regular world as if they belong. No one else ever sees what she does—not when she was younger, and not the night she is attacked by horned monsters, losing the precarious grasp on her already damaged mind. Trapped in a mental hospital, Selma's only hope of gaining back her life is a young psychiatrist with smoldering looks and some very disturbing ideas for her treatments. If she is ever to see the outside world again, she must submit to him. But he is one of them—and his intentions are far more devious than they appear. First installment in the 6-part serial Demon’s Mark. Contains darkly erotic scenes and demons who like to play rough. Not for the faint-hearted. Demon's Mark Complete Series: #1 Branded #2 Tricked #3 Hunted #4 Captured #5 Claimed #6 Cherished

    Traumatized by her past, and struggling to move on from it, Sera has spent the past three years of college hiding herself from the world and content to stay that way. A chance encounter with Liam shatters her sheltered world, leaving her stunned and shaken by the strange feelings and emotions he arises in her, feelings she never thought she would experience and that frighten her in their intensity. Harboring a dark and deadly secret of his own, Liam knows that he should stay away from Sera; that he will only bring her more hurt, but he is irresistibly drawn to her and unable to deny himself the pleasure that only she can bring to him. But when their pasts collide with their present, and Liam’s true nature is revealed, will their love for each other be enough, or will they be torn apart forever? Mature readers 18+ Cover art by www.EbookLaunch.com

    But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.

    Thais. The trees sit on a black lake that resembles a dark Louisiana bayou with an evocative aura. The dream includes the presence of a man who seems to know Anna all too well and a group of people with strange telepathic powers, sometimes called veiled eyes. An orphan from Texas, she is on her way east to help out a friend when she encounters two terrifying things. Psychically, she begins to see and hear things through the eyes of an unknown individual, a man who knows more about her than she ever would have imagined. The second thing is that she has been kidnapped by a sociopathic trucker intent on making her his latest victim. When she is rescued by Gabriel Bergeron, a member of the elusive Lake People in Northwestern Louisiana, Anna doesn’t realize that he is her psychic counterpart and she has been inexplicably pulled to the area. She shares their strange colored gold eyes and their distinctive mental powers. They are a reclusive lot and know that Anna is one of them, but has been isolated by unknown circumstances. She is drawn into their incomparable world, something between that of the Creoles and Cajuns, and much in addition to those. There Anna finds a romantic link with Gabriel and the spine-tingling fear of not knowing who to trust. Her return has disturbed the inner workings of the group and threatens to expose secrets long concealed in the murky Louisiana bayous. There are secrets to be divulged about her past and why she was spirited away as an infant. Anna isn’t safe until she discovers the answers she so desperately requires.

    Premonitions dictate her every move, compelling her to rescue strangers day and night. After years of self-sacrifice, she decides to ignore one, but innocent people die. So, when the next premonition depicts her own death, Lexi is faced with the decision of a lifetime. As if an ill-fated future isn’t enough to deal with, a series of strange illnesses and murders devastate her small town, and co-worker Jessica Nelson insists Lexi can help. According to Jessica, everyone is born with an inner energy called Essence. Only a select few, Amethysts, can control Essence and heal people. Jessica claims to be an Amethyst and asks Lexi to join her and a group of her friends as they track the murderers. Despite her personal plight, Lexi considers joining them.Then again, Lexi discovers secrets run deep among Jessica’s friends. Not only do they have a hidden agenda, but they also harbor extraordinary abilities. And they have connections with the Ray-pacs – the sadistic killers who are preying on human Essence. Ultimately, Lexi must decide if life, not death, equals salvation. And if so, is she willing to make certain sacrifices and join her friends in eradicating the Ray-pacs?Amethyst is the first novel in the Guardian series, a spellbinding, young adult, urban fantasy series. One that wouldn’t be complete without a love triangle at the heart of the story.

    When her newest client hires her to steal a fertility idol from an Amazonian sex-and-death cult, she finds herself south of the equator and shoulder deep in true believers, while Rio de Janeiro gears up for the closing celebrations of Carnival. Stealing the idol is one thing, however. Keeping it is another. The arcane black market has drawn a host of cutthroat operatives and Sara’s now in their sights. In a race across one of the most colorful cities in South America on its most famed night of the year, Sara must navigate cunning enemies, backstabbing allies, a fifty-foot wedding cake float and a new, sensually mysterious contact who may be friend or foe… and whose name she’ll never learn if she doesn’t make it to dawn alive. No matter what the cards predict, it’s going to be One Wilde Night.

    Luckily, her father knew an attack was imminent and he built a vast shelter in the mountains for their family, and thousands of others.What the people on earth don’t know is the war is much more than a human take-over. The forces of good and evil are battling and the humans are their pawns. Jayden, A Dark Angel, is a servant of Vyco and sent in to lead the survivors to their death, but the first person he meets is Phoenix and he finds he can’t destroy her.Jayden and Phoenix fall in love in spite of the battles around them and lean on their friends and family along the way. Jayden has to make the decision to choose good or evil. Will Phoenix stay human, or become immortal and join Jayden? Can she give up her friends and family? Will she have to choose?

    A short story about a conversation between Teijan, the Rat Alpha, and his right hand, Zane. Timeline: Takes place some time after Mine to Possess.This story can be found on Nalini Singh's official website.