A three-inch tall samurai faces a giant iron ogre with only a sewing needle and a coin. A scientist seeks an antidote to his formula gone wrong, with the help of his partner’s beautiful daughter. All of these stories and more are included in Steampunk Fairy Tales. Written by authors from three different continents, every enchanting tale combines the futuristic Victorian concept of steam and fashion with memorable stories, from the recognizable “Jack and the Beanstalk”, to other popular and unfamiliar works from Germany, France, Italy and Japan. With steam driven gadgets such as mechanical goggles, hoverboards, and an orchestra of automatons. Steampunk Fairy Tales is a charming and unique collection of works for current lovers of the genre, and those just diving in.

    She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch…

    Humor and a somewhat postmodern outlook carried over into his novels as well. One of his stories, "Arena," is officially credited for an adaptation as an episode of the landmark television series, Star Trek. With no more room left on Earth, and with Mars hanging up there empty of life, somebody hit on the plan of starting a colony on the Red Planet. It meant changing the habits and physical structure of the immigrants, but that worked out fine. In fact, every possible factor was covered -- except one of the flaws of human nature. . . ."

    In Pinky Promise, how can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not? Secretly Yours: a Winter Romance Novella Chef Lindsey Solberg agrees to cater the church’s Valentine’s Day fundraising banquet as a favor to her teen sister, but she’s shocked to discover the bad boy from her high school days is now Riverbend’s youth pastor. Seriously? How could he have changed that much? Nick Harrison has prayed for years for an opportunity to make amends. Now Lindsey’s back in Riverbend and won’t give him the time of day. What’s a guy to do except leave a trail of gifts from a secret admirer? Lindsey’s heart takes a beating when she realizes the boy who was never good enough is now a far better man than she deserves. Pinky Promise: a Spring Romance Novella Kelly Bryant’s young daughter wants a daddy and sets her sights on her new best friend’s single father. The man may be charming, sweet, and a believer, but Kelly is embarrassed. She extracts a pinky promise from her six-year-old to stop proposing to men on her behalf. Ian Tomlinson isn’t looking for a wife but does need care for his daughter during spring break the week after his move to Riverbend. He hates to ask Kelly — and plant ideas in the girls’ minds — but he’s rather low on options. How can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not? Welcome to Riverbend! 1. Secretly Yours (winter) 2. Pinky Promise (spring) 3. Sweet Serenade (summer) 4. Team Bride (autumn) 5. Merry Kisses (Christmas) Riverbend, BC, is the quaint Canadian town you wish you were from, where everyone knows everyone, seasons are celebrated, and love is in the air. The Riverbend Romance Novellas are a series of contemporary Christian romance stories set in Canada. These inspirational romance novellas are heart-warming shorter reads with true-to-life (but fictional) characters who face challenges in finding their one true love. What Readers Say about Secretly Yours "Overflowing with faith and romance..." ~ JoAnn Durgin, author of the Lewis Legacy Series "What an amazing and beautiful love story!" ~ Joyful "An adorable Valentine romance with realistic characters. " ~ Lollipops What Readers Say about Pinky Promise "Lovable parental figures with impish daughters create a delightful story of love, family, and 2nd chances." ~ Joelle "The plot is cute and the little girls are adorable." ~ Mommynificent "I loved this novella and the antics of two six-year-old girls that decide they want their parents to marry." ~ Linda Scroll up and snag this two-for-one today!

    Here, Sma argues for contact with Earth, to try to fix the mess the human species has made of it. Another Culture citizen, Linter, goes native while Li, who is a Star Trek fan, argues that the whole "incontestably neurotic and clinically insane species" should be eradicated with a micro black hole. The ship Arbitrary has ideas, and a sense of humour, of its own.This limited first edition only includes the novella and no extra collections. It had a print of 400 numbered copies and comes in a slip-case signed by both author and cover artist.

    A woman grapples with survivor’s guilt after a body is found in her garden bed; an ageing beauty queen contemplates her past; a world champion free-diver disappears during routine training...In moments disquieting or quietly inspiring, this collection considers the complexity of the connections we make—with our family, friends and neighbours, and with those met briefly or never at all.In her timely debut, Emily Paull voices a chorus of characters that reveal and re-evaluate the expectations of women in Australia today—after all, well-behaved women rarely make history.

    KONRATH: “Scar Tissue will make your heart race and your heart ache, often in the same sentence.” Not only that, but buying this collection helps battle real-life heartache—50% of every e-book sold is donated to fighting pediatric cancer. Marcus Sakey’s thrillers have won numerous awards and been translated into twenty languages. Celebrities like Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire have snatched up his film rights. Now from the “modern master of suspense” (Chicago Sun-Times) comes seven stories of men and women pushed to—and beyond—the ragged edge: --* “The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away”Nick is back from Iraq, or so he keeps telling himself. But an old squad mate shows there are some battlefields you can’t leave behind. (Twice short-listed for Best Short Story of 2009)* “Gravity and Need”After having sex with a total stranger atop a $3000 television, you’re supposed to walk away. But for two lonely people, that’s just the beginning of a very complicated relationship.* “No One”The line between love and obsession is stretched razor-taut in this story where nothing is as it seems—and no one can be trusted.* “Cobalt”In this comic send-up the dotcom era, as the world panics over the last days of Y2K, one man searches for his soul. If he could only remember where last he saw it…* “The Time Before the Last”The shortest story I’ve ever written. It’s also inspired three paintings and made my wife cry.* “As Breathing”Billy Dexter has sworn off killing. But when he falls in love with the wrong woman, Dex discovers murder is a hard habit to break.* “The Days When You Were Anything Else”Frank has been many things: a conman, a hustler, a thief. But when his little girl finds herself in desperate trouble, he has one final shot at becoming something that matters.--These seven stories “contain some of the best writing in crime fiction today. You're in for quite a ride.” (J.A. Konrath). And it’s a ride you can feel good about, with 50% of every sale going to defeat pediatric cancer.---A PERSONAL NOTE FROM MARCUS---In 2010, two of the best people I know received unimaginable news: their four-year-old son had an incurable brain tumor. Julian Boivin was a superhero in training, and fought an epic battle. But in the end, cancer stole this beautiful boy. Nothing can make that right. But the Team Julian Foundation is trying to give other kids a fighting chance against this devastating disease. To help, I’m donating 50% of the proceeds from every single copy of SCAR TISSUE sold to pediatric cancer research. It’s a small way to work toward a big change. Want to get more involved? Visit TeamJulianFoundation.com.---MARCUS SAKEY IS:---“A brilliant writer.” -The Huffington Post “Brainy, twisty, twisted, and entirely ingenious.” -Gillian Flynn, bestselling author of GONE GIRL“One of our best storytellers.” -Michael Connelly, bestselling author of THE LINCOLN LAWYER“Exactly the electric jolt crime fiction needs.” -Dennis Lehane, bestselling author of MYSTIC RIVER“The new reigning prince of crime fiction.” -The Chicago Tribune

    After the notorious Smiling Killer strikes close to her home -- and her own neck, River grudgingly accepts help from her childhood friend and first love, who unknowingly crushed her heart.When his formerly awkward school buddy is being stalked and attacked, local newspaper editor and town favorite Jacob Forrester decides to protect River. Falling for River, who blossomed into a confident, beautiful woman, Jacob is also eager to take their friendship to a different level. But River always made it clear she wouldn't stick around.Scarred and scared, River has fled to the big city lights once. But she's stronger now. The homegrown killer better be prepared because not all Rivers run...Secrets of Rios Azules Series: welcome to Rios Azules, a small Texas town where rivers and emotions run deep, and secrets are deadly.

    

    This time there are no suave, wise-cracking good guys, no humorless, drug-addled bad guys. The story I want to tell you is all about how I learned to sleep at night, to close my eyes without seeing cold places and dead eyes… how I dragged whatever was left of me up out of the dark, finally. That’s the story I want to tell, because that’s the story I need to hear. I want to know how it ends..."Returning to normal life after his dark days in the depths of the Jianghu hasn't been easy for Randall Lee. With big changes coming in his future, though, Randall offers to help rehabilitate an injured friend, only to find that the need for healing goes far deeper than he ever expected. Bridging the events of Jianghu and the upcoming Randall Lee Mystery, The Art of War, Eating Bitter is a quiet story of resilience and perseverance, punctuated with Randall's trademark humor and self-deprecation.

    A simple touch sending currents of electricity flowing through a body. The feeling of coming home. Friends become lovers. Strangers become soulmates. The chemistry ignited when two people are falling in love is undeniable. Over the course of five short stories, follow these couples on journeys of passion and discover what happens when they decide to let sparks fly…

    He looks like a bad boy biker, and that type of guy isn't interested in girls like me. I’m too curvy, and I’m sure he isn’t into that. But a girl can dream, can’t she? I try to get him out of my mind. I try to stop thinking about that chiseled jawline, that short soldier haircut, those muscles, and the tan surfer skin. I try to think about something else, like my favorite TV show, or how crappy work is going to be tomorrow, or how my best friend is getting married to her boyfriend. I try to think about anything to get my mind off Jason. And it doesn’t work. He’s stuck in my head, and I can tell he’s not going to leave until I get him. Jason: It's impossible to sleep tonight. I’m lying in bed and all I can think about is the moment I laid eyes on her. Tina. She's everything I've ever wanted. Curves for days, and legs that don’t seem to end. And that face... How could someone possibly be so cute? Of course, I’ve got to be realistic. She’s my type, but we only just met. Maybe I'm moving too quickly. I may be an alpha, but beneath that tough guy exterior, there’s a whole lot of heart. I’ve had my fair share of messy breakups, and each time I get a little colder. If it happens again, my heart might finally turn to ice. But so far, this girl has managed to melt me inside. HER CURVES, HIS FATE is an instant-love, happy-ever-after steamy alpha BBW romance novella, featuring an older alpha male with a younger BBW. This is a standalone story in the ENDLESS CURVES series.

    It is time to rewrite the stories. We are no longer the hero’s love interest. Neither do we believe in happily ever after. We do not wish to dance to anybody else’s tunes. We choose our path. We make mistakes. We learn from them. We love. We lose. We age. We evolve. These are stories of women. Different women. For we cannot and should not stereotype women. These stories are of relationships. These stories touch upon social issues. These stories may inspire you. These stories make you feel like you are not alone. These stories may surprise you. These stories may entertain you. I hope everybody would be able to pick something they like.

    In the original Tor.com story Any Way the Wind Blows, New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire presents a sweet tribute to Manhattan's iconic Flatiron building--celebrating the longtime home of Tor Books as the publisher bids farewell for new office space.Composed of travelers from nine different parallel dimensions, the Cartography Corps crew aboard the airship Stalwart Trumpet of Glory descends on the New York City in our universe to collect and preserve artifacts from the legendary turn-of-the-twentieth century landmark Flatiron building.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    A collection of short stories that were originally published in the 1960s and 1970s in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and Harper's.