From Rob Thurman, the New York Times bestselling author of the Cal Leandros, comes this wicked, mind-bending short story—from the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology.

    The band nerds, the math geeks, the chess club, the girl that chews her hair, but at Butler High, even the creepy nose picker in the chess club is more popular than Caleo Anima. No matter what he did, his pale skin, snow white hair, and piercing blue eyes always made him an easy target. He used to think that the only way things could get worse would be if someone found out that he was gay, but that isn't even the tip of the iceberg of problems after a mysterious stranger shows up and changes Caleo’s life forever.Hidden amongst our society, a secret and magical race of people known as ‘Leeches’, have been engaging in civil war for decades. Both sides are desperately searching for a weapon with unlimited power that will give them the advantage they need to rule their world. This wouldn’t mean anything to Caleo, except for one problem...He is that weapon!Forget making it through High School. Caleo has bigger problems! As the search for him goes on, the world is quickly crumbling around him. He's now fighting for his life and the life of what little family he has left. With the help of new friends, he has little time to try and master his newly found powers as he tries to figure out who he can trust, who is trying to use him, and who just wants him dead. One wrong step and being the awkward pale outcast will be the least of his worries.

    Old secrets, hidden psychics, secret shifters, ghosts, scandals—and true love. A series of long-ago disappearances leads cold case private detective Austin Williams to investigate a troubled sanitarium. Jamie Miller is new in town, temporarily running the local historical association, and he willingly signs on to help solve Austin’s mystery. Sparks fly between them as they dig into the hospital’s troubled past. But someone wants the past to stay buried—and is willing to bury Austin and Jamie to keep it that way. Haven is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains explicit scenes and a guaranteed HEA.

    Bob and Sam take their kind-of-adopted-now vampire daughter Mal to look at new schools. Mikhail is left to babysit the last of the remaining rescued children whilst they are away. When Sirens appear to steal her away, he is left facing the attack alone until a mysterious hero comes to his aid. Ryujin, or Jin to his friends, is a dragon shifter and his role as Captain of the Dragon Guards puts him in direct conflict with Mikhail. The minute he sees Mikhail he knows what he wants. Now if he can only get Mikhail to see the same. The Case of the Sinful Santa Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos...and at the centre of it all-Mal. Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate? When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal's school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.

    The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

    In her case, there's Nick Matthews, who's the town flirt and thinks she's the next notch on his bedpost. Then there's Ian Matthews, who's supposed to be the easygoing brother. Except there's nothing easygoing about his charm, or the way he looks at her, or the way he kisses her.And there's nothing easygoing about his secret...NickRose Newark thinks she landed the chance of a lifetime when she gets her first interior decorating solo project, and she can't wait to get started. All her excitement goes down the drain, however, when she meets her new client: Nick Matthews, aka the town's playboy.Aka the most potently charming man she's ever met.She's unfazed by that charm, of course--until she starts getting to know the man beneath the glamorous lifestyle. On paper, Nick has it easy and has it all. But the closer she gets to him, the more Rose finds out about his secrets: and they're secrets that make him all the more attractive--and all the more dangerous... Ara Tom Anderson has worked at Coolio's all his life, so selling the place and packing up feels like the best break he can get. Having no responsibilities for the first time ever seems like a solid plan--one that's broken when he finds himself responsible for the safety of Ara Matthews' one night.Things soon start unravelling when he keeps getting her out of trouble and starts realizing that maybe there's more to her than meets the eye. Ara has deep, dark secrets--and they're secrets that he soon finds himself entangled in, much as he finds himself entangled in her hot, brazen kisses...SamuelBeing the healer of four very powerful, very supernatural siblings might seem like the coolest job in the world--but for Natalie Hill, it's just a job, and one that's ending soon. Now she's down to the last person she's supposed to protect: Samuel Matthews, who never really needed help from her, considering he's already a cop and the town's greatest protector.But danger comes in many forms, and Samuel's beast nature is testament to that: a volatile creature that's a contrast to Samuel's usual calm self, one that fascinates her all the more. Natalie knows it's a mistake to get too close to him. But when tension forms and sexual attraction takes shape, it's too late to back out--and all she can do is try to fight for their lives...Adult Content.

    A young man with powers he's only beginning to understand. In their hands, the fate of two worlds. A childhood encounter with one of the Sidhe sets Joseph Vines' life on a fateful course. Unable to forget the beautiful creature who promised to one day return for him, Joey spends the next twenty years learning, dreaming and waiting. Braeden Shay, a warrior of the Sidhe, has spent those same twenty years watching Joey from a distance, waiting for Joey's heritage to make itself known. When the time is ripe, Braeden steps in to protect Joey from those trying to kill him, and to help him deal with the changes turning his life inside out. During the days that follow, as Braeden teaches Joey to harness and control his newfound power over the natural world, Joey finds himself falling for the gentle, patient Braeden. Braeden, who has watched over Joey for most of his life, is already deeply in love with him. When the forces targeting Joey for death catch up with them, it will take all their magic-and the power of their love for each other-to survive, and to save both their worlds. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit male/male sex, graphic language, violence, and inappropriate use of plants.

    The man is a magician, who's forgotten everything, even his name. As the two wait for the supply boat to come and take him away from the island, Cole finds himself falling in love.He doesn't think the beautiful blond man could ever return his feelings. But everything is not as it appears—including the man's past. And someone might just want him dead.

    And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up. Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.

    Burnt out and needing a change, Marlow buys a food truck, grabs his brother and flees to Purdy, Nebraska, where he meets Arlington "Arry" Martin. The man is gorgeous and has a fashion sense like he doesn't realize what decade it is, but he treats Marlow's brother well, and even when Marlow almost messes everything up, he is still happy to call him mate. Precious Boy: Chosen Book 8 An accident stole Bentley Jeffers arm when he was just a child. He learned to function just fine without it, and was even proud of all he could accomplish even while being "disabled" at one point, but selfish parents and cruel people had made him fell ashamed over the years, and now he hides what's left of his arm so he doesn't "gross anyone out." When he's kidnapped by men who mistake him for his brother, he's then rescued by a gorgeous man who treats him like he's the most precious being in the world. But that can't last forever, right? Or can Kinsey Walt remind him what it's like to be proud of all he can do? Little Sh*t: Chosen Book 9 When the snarky, street savvy Carter Benson is rescued by the big… and absolutely adorable Harley Daniels, he knows there is something special about the big, overly blunt man who feels the need to apologize for his accidental, brutal honesty. But Carter has done things in his past he is pretty sure an FBI agent… even one who turns into a giant bear from time to time, wouldn't be okay with. But he can't deny his need to protect the big guy, even if he's probably twenty times stronger than Carter, and with that protectiveness, trust soon follows. Carter might be protecting his big bear from the hurt brought on by the people he loves, but Harley is helping Carter fight the demons that are always chasing him.

    In VAL there’s no line a vampire won’t cross to secure a true mate once found. Only death can separate them….Set Two: Mortal Death contains the following novellas:TOGETHER TO JOIN: Garrick Wolfgar Von Holstaad is the perfect vampire hunter. Deadly. Accurate. Heartless. There is no way the woman he’s trying to kill is fated as his mate. A vampire? He’d rather die.THIS MAN AND WOMAN: When the Vampire Assassin League gifts Jean-Pierre with a perfect Samurai sword, nobody realizes they've trafficked in stolen goods. And then a female ninja is given the mission of retrieval of the sword. And the dual begins. FOREVER AS ONE: Terminally young, gorgeous, and ripped, Dane Morgan hides out tending bar at the SEX AND SUNBURN club. Then one day, when he least expects it, his mate walks in - wearing a wedding ring. And that brings his berserker to life. SHOULD THERE BE: Piracy is Rafaele de Jesus y Santiago’s world. His motto. His creed. There’s no order to his eternity. No goal. No direction. He doesn’t even realize he’s lonely. Until one night, a woman calls his cell. She’s frantic. She’s weakened. She needs help. And she’s his preferred blood type.

    It is a story of of redemption, as she overcomes the challenges of living with her fragile mother in Rotney, a brutal, East End slum where she attends the notorious comprehensive school, Rotney High, with all its perils and ugliness. Antonia’s life changes when she meets an American war hero and performance magician, who restores her confidence and gives her a stone with magical properties to protect her at the cost of his own safety. The Sunshine Stone looks at how, despite the worst circumstances, there is always hope if you are prepared to fight for your future and to accept help from any quarter it might present itself, however unlikely.

     Gabriel Wyatt is a big city Detective living in a small Ohio town. He expects a peaceful existence once he moves from Miami, Florida, but that’s the last thing he finds. Instead, Gabe discovers murder, mayhem, and one smart-mouthed hairstylist he can’t get out of his head. Josh “Jazz” Roman is a small-town business owner with big dreams and an attitude to match. He finds himself in the middle of a case that brings the dreamy detective to the front door of his Curl Up and Dye salon. Josh learns that the biggest threat to him isn’t a killer; it’s a man who wants something from him that he vowed never to give again—his heart. Books included: Dyeing to be Loved Something to Dye For Dyed and Gone to Heaven I Do or Dye Trying A Dye Hard Holiday Ride or Dye Bonus content: Fatal Reaction – series prequel

    But with a little help from a magic shop, a raven, and a dead great-aunt who was possibly a witch, Morli and Baxter are joined together on a cross-worlds adventure. Battling killer brambles in order to rescue an enchanted princess seems simple compared to their real challenges: discovering their strengths and creating a future together.The Muffin Man is part of the Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone is in dire need. This book contains reluctant heroes, sentient sourdough starter, lots of carbs, and a guaranteed HEA.