However, all that everyone is talking about and wants to know is if this will be the year he retires and says goodbye to the game he loves.But as he contemplates his future, he’s dealt with another upset involving his longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend who will no longer compete with football. When he receives a letter alerting him of her imminent departure, he is forced to reexamine his life and the choices he has made.He’s about to play in the biggest and possibly last game of his life, but first, he has two weeks to try and stop his one true love from leaving him forever and prove to her that she is the one that has his true heart.

    With the whole town on high-alert, he refuses to let this dead city kill what’s left of his relationship. But, a house in the woods may hold a deadlier fate than the town ever could.

    This edition brings together some of the best horror writers from the last few decades. Featuring stories from Ray Garton, Kelley Armstrong, Simon Clark, Gord Rollo, Chad Lutzke, Mike Duke, Christina Bergling, David Owain Hughes, P. Mattern & Kevin J. Kennedy.

     Tourist season is underway in the coastal community of Beechwood Harbor. Holly Boldt is up to her eyebrows in work. Between the coffee shop and her potion business, things are moving at a break-neck pace. But when a teenage runaway starts causing trouble around the harbor, she has to step in, especially when she realizes the terrified girl isn’t just another out-of-towner on summer vacation. With her posse of magical misfits, Holly’s ready to kick up some sand and get to the bottom of the guarded teen’s dilemma. After all, summer in Beechwood wouldn’t be any fun without a little magic mystery. **Previously published in the Spell or High Water Anthology.** ***Fits in the timeline after the events of Lucky Witch, book five in the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery series.**

    Nightmares imagined into real places; from Nigeria to Japan, North America to Australia. Locations the authors have inhabited and imbued with the sinister–hiking trails, haunted lakes, relics of faded industry, and even a Hawaiian volcano!Is there a selkie who resides in the Wartrace Lake Dam, Tennessee?Can you summon a godlike entity on the coast of Oregon?There are many Crybaby Bridges, but which one belongs to author Gwendolyn Kiste?Tales from the British Isles - of cursed beaches, remote manor houses, and plagued villages. Fresh takes on old legends, newly minted stories attached to interesting landmarks, and even personal hauntings (which will never be pinned on Google Maps.)

    Heartbroken at losing her relationship with the little girl, Lucy pours all her energy into her new business, Delectable Desserts. Until she house-sits for her parents and discovers her new neighbor is even more delectable than her brownies. Reclusive history professor Bryce Wellington just wants to be left alone to lick his wounds after being left at the altar. Then his ex-fiancée abandons a baby girl on his doorstep and claims she’s his. Desperate for help, Bryce calls his new neighbor, Lucy. As Lucy teaches Bryce the ropes of parenthood, he finds himself falling for her, but the last thing he needs is a woman as unpredictable and career driven as his ex-fiancée. He's a father now and he'd rather stay single than make another mistake. And in spite of Bryce being there for her every time she needs him, Lucy’s not about to lose her heart again to a man and a little girl who aren’t hers. But sometimes, taking a chance in life brings the sweetest rewards.

    

    She only wants a quiet life, a home for her unlikely family of two nieces and one troublesome kitten.Before long, things take a darker turn.A man breaks out of prison, leaving the villagers rattled.What are they afraid of?Marian isn’t one for idle gossip. But she can’t ignore the telltale signs that someone has been sneaking into her garden at night.And then there’s the gruff stranger she’s seen hanging round next door. Who is he? And what does he want with the farmer’s wife?It’s up to Marian find out.But in a village full of secrets, the truth can be hard to find.A brand-new cozy mystery that will delight fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, Margaret Mayhew, Janice Hallett, Jeanne M. Dams, L.J. Ross, Faith Martin and Midsomer Murders.

    But that doesn't mean the people celebrating it are always so nice. Criminals get the Christmas spirit, too!In this collection of hilarious short stories, you'll see what the thieves, killers, psychos and scumbags are up to come the holidays...and it's not caroling door to door. Well, not unless they're casing the neighborhood for a break-in, as a rag-tag gang does in the title story. You'll also meet a mall elf menaced by a very, very bad Santa (in "I Killed Santa Claus"), a London police inspector hunting for the man who murdered Ebenezer Scrooge (in "Humbug"), a trucker out to save his shipment of Cabbage Patch Dolls from bumbling hijackers (in "Special Delivery") and many more characters you'll never forget.Originally published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, these nine tales from award-winning short story master Steve Hockensmith (Holmes on the Range, Dreadfully Ever After) are sure to have you ho-ho-hoing from the first page to the last.

    You won't be able to put this seaside cozy mystery story down!

    Who does this Marine recruiter think he is? Her brother is a boy and is not ready to be sacrificed on the altar of “service to your country.” No. Thank you. When trying to talk sense into Max doesn’t work, she does the only thing she can think of. Take it to the top.Gareth Hudson has an exemplary record as a Marine recruiter and knows a good man when he sees one. So when Maxton McCollum starts asking questions in a diner one afternoon, it was obvious. This was a match made in military heaven. One young man anxious to serve his country. One country ready to train him to be the best version of himself.So when Avalon walks into Gareth’s recruiting office, all the wrong kinds of fireworks explode. In a peacekeeping move unlike him, Gareth asks for four Saturdays to change her mind. If he can’t, he’ll suggest that Max wait six months before signing up.Romance wasn’t part of the bargain, and with their age difference, Gareth knows it still shouldn’t be, but how do you resist the pull of love at Christmas?♥ Most Wonderful Time by Toni ShilohGabe Lewis loves Christmas, just not as much as his eccentric mother who gave him and his siblings Christmas names. When he discovers that his new co-worker Shanée Mitchell wants nothing to do with the season, he makes it his mission to show her the true meaning. But he never expected feelings to develop for the Air Force veteran. Can he take a chance that she feels the same way or miss the best gift of all?♥ The Road Home by Cathe SwansonTally has tried to leave her military history far in the past, but she's not ready to go back to her former life, either. Can an old army buddy help her find a new road home?♥ Now and Forever Christmas by Jaycee WeaverRomance ruined their friendship. This could be the Christmas they repair it?CJ Sinclair never imagined trading her chef’s toque for the domestic life but her pregnant sister needs help over the holidays, and the timing couldn’t be better. A breakup and a bad case of burnout are just two on a list of things out of her control these days. Then there’s Tobin, her once best friend who she hasn’t spoken to in years. Now he’s everywhere all the time and sparking feelings she thought she got over ages ago.The past eight years as a professional musician for the US Army prepared Tobin McGhee for his new job as high school band teacher. They didn’t prepare him for how he’d feel seeing CJ again. This time, though, he won’t make the same mistakes. He’s determined to rebuild the friendship they lost. Maybe even rediscover those feelings they had back in high school before everything went wrong.Can they make holiday music together and rekindle the friendship they once had, or will romance ruin everything again?

    From the painted faces of a child's nightmare to discovering what we really put in our bodies in the name of health. Here are 10 tales to read with the light on.TALE #1 - "Roll up, Roll up"TALE #2 - "Late Shift"TALE #3 - "You call that music?"TALE #4 - "Whose face is this anyway?"TALE #5 - "Pink Bow"TALE #6 - "Careful what you wish for"TALE #7 - "Recycling can be hazardous to your health"TALE #8 - "Mommy's little soldier"TALE #9 - "Trick or Treat"TALE #10 - "You are what you eat"

    Carnations and Deadly Fixations2. One Daisy and Two Crazy Funerals3. White Lily and a Fatal Chili4. Mistletoe and Deadly Kisses5. Freesia and Lethal Amnesia6. Daffodils and Poisonous PillsCarnations and Deadly FixationsA murdered unpopular business owner. A small town with busybodies and open secrets. Can a new girl in town start a new life before a murder investigation ends it?Tracy Adams had three things going for her in her just-above-average boring life namely:1. A good job2. A good job... that she liked3. A good job that she liked... and that paid VERY wellWhen she lost her job and had to move back to the small town where she grew up, it seemed like her life had lost all purpose. Helping out at her aunt's floundering floral shop seemed like the perfect distraction before she decided what to do next.When her aunt's competition, a nasty and egotistical know-it-all is found dead, the rumor mill in Fern Grove goes into overdrive. With an important piece of evidence linking Tracy to the scene of the crime, she becomes a person of interest in the murder investigation. This leaves her feeling vulnerable and confused.Moving back to Fern Grove was meant to be the start of a new life but this murder mystery is fast ending what has hardly begun. Will she retain her wits and piece together the clues that will lead her to the killer?"Good start to a new series. Enjoyable fun read."One Daisy and Two Crazy FuneralsTwo families mourning. Two mysterious murders. One innocent florist whose floral arrangements are the common denominator at the scene of the crimes.When Tracy's floral store is commissioned to supply the arrangements for two funerals, she's humbled to be entrusted with the responsibility. She reluctantly puts up with the rude behavior of an old lady who manages the affairs of one of the deceased, a well-known philanthropist in Fern Grove.When this old lady dies at the funeral, no one suspects foul play. After all, she was old and frail. However, the subsequent murder of another close member of the family, sets alarm bells ringing.Could both deaths be linked?Tracy is left bewildered and enraged when handsome detective Copeland suggests that her daisy arrangement was the one piece of evidence found at both murder locations. The stakes are further raised when the fortune of the deceased is revealed. It seems almost everyone associated with the dead aristocrat is a person of interest.Is there a killer at large disposing of anyone associated with the deceased? Can peace be restored to one of the oldest families in Fern Grove? Will Tracy ask the right questions to expose the murderer or become the killer's next victim?"I really enjoyed this book! It was a great mystery and love the characters. Lots of twists and never would have guessed the ending!!! Another good book in a very enjoyable series."PLUS 4 MORE!If you want to enjoy a light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth and 6 gripping murder mysteries with a touch of romance, then you'll love Tracy Adams and all the friendly and not-so-friendly characters in Fern Grove.No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes!

    Their honeymoon plans go puff as India announces a nationwide lockdown.Months after living under the pressures of joint family, social distancing rules, and work-from-home stress, they get an opportunity to venture out. Viraj plans a trip to the inviting Green Villa for an intimate weekend getaway. But something is lurking beneath the surface.Will it pan out to be the exciting honeymoon that Viraj thinks they desperately need?What is Jhanak scared about?Who is the girl in the Green Villa?Key highlights of the story:• Fast-paced narration• Non-linear storytelling• Interesting twists and turns• Flavours of the supernatural• Imminent dread, doom, and deceit