Book picks similar to
Once Upon a Time: Hag, Giant's Way by Shea Berkley


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Unmasked


Melody Grace - 2015
    He’s built an empire on cool logic and sense — until a chance encounter with Noelle brings out the reckless streak he never knew he had.One night. Two unlikely hearts. No holding back. As the night unfolds, Ash and Noelle discover new passion and adventure, but can their moment of connection last until the morning light? Find out in the sexy, fun new novella from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!

The Outlaws of Sherwood


Robin McKinley - 1988
    New York Times bestselling author Robin McKinley's vivid retelling of the classic story of Robin Hood breathes contemporary life into these beloved adventures, with Marian taking a pivotal role as one of Robin's best archers.

Silver Birch, Blood Moon


Ellen DatlowIndia Edghill - 1999
    An embittered mother cares for her dying son who is trapped in a thicket that guards a sleeping beauty... In a bleak and desolate industrial wasteland, a group of violent outcasts lays the tattered myths of one Millenium to rest, and gives terrifying birth to those of the next.Erotic, compelling, witty, and altogether extraordinary, these stories lay bare our innermost demons and desires--imaginatively transforming our youthful fantasies into things darker, slyer, and more delightfully subversive. The "Snow White, Blood Red" Collection #1. Snow White, Blood Red #2. Black Thorn, White Rose #3. Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears #4. Black Swan, White Raven #5. Silver Birch, Blood Moon #6. Black Heart, Ivory Bones

Sacred Bloodlines


Wendy Owens - 2011
    It seemed like everyone he knew or loved was doomed for a life of misery or death. He was starting to come to the same conclusion everyone else had—he must be cursed. Until one day, in a subway tunnel, everything suddenly changed. A horrific disaster led him to a strange new person named Uri.Uri introduced Gabe to an exciting new world filled with angels, demons, magic, and best of all, a beautiful girl named Sophie. This chance at a new life had everything Gabe always longed for: a family, friends, and possibly even love. He soon discovered, though, that this life came at a steep price. One he feared might cost him his life.

The President's Man


Alex Ander
    to Russia to Dallas, Texas, following the exploits of the United States Government's top Special Agent, Aaron Hardy.The Unsanctioned Patriot (Book #1)Marine Corps Special Forces Operator Aaron Hardy traveled the globe for twelve years, fighting for his country.However, he never thought his biggest battle would be waged on American soil. And, take everything from him.Running from the FBI, Hardy must find his enemies before they find him.His pursuit uncovers political corruption at the highest levels of government.But, that’s not the shocking part.The twenty-nine-year-old elite soldier discovers the truth about his own past.He’s been living a lie.FBI Special Agent Raychel DelaCruz has seen the worst the nation’s capital has to offer.Investigating her latest case, she realizes nothing has prepared her for a government conspiracy of this magnitude.When their worlds collide, Hardy and DelaCruz find themselves in unfamiliar territory.To defeat the powers that want them dead, the two strangers must learn to trust each other.But, that may not be enough.American Influence (Book #2)Former Special Forces soldier and the newest covert agent of the U.S. Government, Aaron Hardy has his first mission.He must fly to Moscow and eliminate one man, an explosives expert supplying bombs to terrorists.His search uncovers a deadly plot that threatens to create global panic.What begins as a simple seek and destroy operation morphs into a race against time.The stakes are high and one major obstacle stands in Hardy’s way. The Russian authorities suspect him of murdering four of their agents.Avoid being captured by the people he’s trying to help.Stop a bomb maker before he unleashes unprecedented worldwide terror.And, you thought your first day on the job was tough.Deadly Assignment (Book #3)FBI Special Agents Aaron Hardy and Raychel DelaCruz are enjoying their first vacation as a couple.Relaxing by the pool, the sun’s rays shining on their faces, the furthest thing from their minds is a desperate struggle for survival.A fight that could end their lives.Outnumbered, outgunned and waging a losing battle, Hardy and DelaCruz discover they’ve been betrayed.The traitor, however, is one they never saw coming.

The Bradens at Weston, CO


Melissa Foster - 2015
    Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak 3 AWARD-WINNING CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVELS in 1 GREAT BOXED SET LOVERS AT HEART (The Bradens, #1) DESTINED FOR LOVE (The Bradens, #2) FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE (The Bradens, #3) Sneak Peek: SEA OF LOVE (The Bradens, #4) --- LOVERS AT HEART SILVER MEDAL WINNER, Readers' Favorite Awards, Contemporary Romance Handsome, wealthy resort owner Treat Braden is used to getting what he wants. When Max Armstrong walked into his life six months earlier, he saw right through the efficient and capable façade she wore like a shield, to the sweet, sensual woman who lay beneath. She sparked an unfamiliar desire in him for more than a one-night stand, leaving his heart reeling and his blood boiling. But one mistake caused her to turn away, and now, after six months of longing for the one woman he cannot have, he's going home to try to forget her all together. Max Armstrong has a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and she's never needed a man to help her find her way--until Treat Braden caught her attention at a wedding in Nassau, causing a surge of emotions too reminiscent of the painful past she'd spent years trying to forget. Max will do anything to avoid reliving that pain--including forgoing her toe-curling, heart-pounding desire for Treat. When a chance encounter turns into a night of intense passion, Treat realizes that the mistake he made six months earlier may cause him to lose Max completely. He will do everything within his power to win her heart forever--and Max is forced to face her hurtful past head on for the man she cannot help but love. --- DESTINED FOR LOVE BRONZE MEDAL WINNER, Readers' Favorite Awards, Romance Sizzle Love hot cowboys? Rex Braden is wealthy, hard working, and fiercely loyal. Sweat at his brow, he works the family ranch by day, then kicks back at night with part time lovers who require nothing more than his physical presence a few times each week. But that was before. Before Jade Johnson, the daughter of the man his father has been feuding with for over forty years, moves back into town. After ditching a horrific relationship--and her veterinary practice in the process--Jade Johnson returns to the safety of her small hometown and finally finds her footing. That is...until her horse is injured and Rex Braden comes to her rescue. The last thing she needs is a bull-headed, too-handsome-for-his-own-good Braden complicating her life. Despite the angry family history, sparks fly between Rex and Jade, and attitudes follow. Fifteen years of stifled, forbidden love stirs a surge of passion too strong for either to deny--and the rebel in each of them rears its powerful head. Loyalties are tested, and relationships are strained. Rex and Jade are about to find out if true love really can conquer all. --- FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE SILVER MEDAL WINNER, Readers' Favorite Awards, Romance Sizzle Small-town overachiever Riley Banks has finally scored her big break--working in Manhattan as a fashion design assistant for her childhood crush, Josh Braden. She enters her new job hoping to make a name for herself and--just maybe--explore the romance that slipped through her fingers way back when. Josh Braden has models at his beck and call, a staff that never says never, and an elegant clothing line for the holiday season. When he hires Riley Banks, he expects her to learn the business from the ground up.

Cinderella Is Evil


Jamie Campbell - 2013
    Sometimes they don’t get it right.Ugly Stepsister Anna has wrongly been accused of being mean and evil. Now it is time she got the opportunity to tell her side of the story.With Cinderella so perfect and wonderful, it is no wonder Anna feels ugly in comparison. Dealing with bullies, a grumpy mother and the death of her step-father, Anna is at her wits end.When the Prince’s ball approaches, Anna is told she must find a husband to save the family fortune. Attending with her sisters, the sulky Prince Charming only has eyes for Cinderella.With the burden of being the only one to unite her step-sister with the Prince, will Anna act as cupid? Or will she protect Cinderella from the arrogant Charming?A charming twist to the story of Cinderella, told completely from the point of view of the Ugly Step-Sister.

Dark Creations: Gabriel Rising


Jennifer Martucci - 2011
    At seventeen years old, she envisioned love but never dreamed it possible.That was before she met Gabriel James.Gabriel was different from other boys. With otherworldly attractiveness, gallantry, charm, and intelligence, Gabriel was everything boys her age were not. As her relationship with Gabriel grew, she realized his kindness and generosity matched his extraordinary physical appearance. Melissa found her feelings for him growing stronger with their every encounter.But Gabriel had a secret, a dark secret.Gabriel was no ordinary teenage boy. His exceptional attributes were not random inheritances from his ancestry. His origins were far different.Gabriel James was not born of man and woman. His DNA was hand-picked and refined by Dr. Franklin Terzini and grown in a clandestine facility in the Russian Far East. Dr. Terzini created Gabriel to be the future of the human species, a perfected version. The crucial difference between Gabriel and the rest of humanity, however, was his inability to experience emotions. His lack of emotion was not by accident, but by design. Dr. Terzini believed that humankind would best be served without sentimentality, that feelings were the root of every ill within society. Gabriel supposed Terzini’s theory to be true; until he met Melissa.Despite Terzini’s intention, Melissa Martin awakens feelings within Gabriel, offers him life beyond his maker’s confines. Gabriel realizes emotionality is not what is wrong with the world, but what gives life meaning. He realizes he must risk everything to be with her, to conceal his relationship with her from Terzini.Elsewhere, in a far corner of the Earth, Dr. Franklin Terzini’s earliest creation spirals out of control, no longer contented by his meditative state, propelled by an insatiable bloodlust. A creature more powerful and hideous than any that roam the planet, his first creation journeys to the United States leaving a trail of victims in his wake, as hatred for Gabriel fuels his voyage.Dr. Terzini’s discovery of Gabriel’s feelings and his connection with Melissa, along with the arrival of his first creation, threatens to destroy more than Gabriel’s relationship. Gabriel desperately struggles to protect her from the unrelenting forces conspiring against them. He must guard her against his maker and shield her from the wrath of mankind’s darkest creation.

The Wizard Returns


Danielle Paige - 2015
    . . and she's not the sweet little heroine of Oz anymore. She's power-hungry and vicious, and she leaves a trail of destruction beneath her spike-heeled, magical shoes. But she wasn't always in charge. There used to be a different ruler of Oz. Someone who also came from the Other Place, and who stole power for himself. They called him the Wizard.The story goes that when a young Dorothy revealed the Wizard as a fraud, the man behind the curtain fled Oz in his hot air balloon. But in The Wizard Returns, he wakes in a field of poppies to find out that not only had he never left, but that he has no memory of who—or where—he is. As he undergoes a series of tests to uncover his memories, he finds that the very girl who threw him from the Emerald Palace is in control. And that Oz may be his destiny after all.The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Stardust


Misty Jean - 2011
    In this tale of two worlds, of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death. As Trinity begins to find the answers she soon discovers that her true identity may be the greatest secret of all...

Assassination: Classroom - Vol 2 Great Comic Manga Graphic Novels For Young & Teens , Adults


Julia B Beckiea Publisher - 2020
    

Howl Series, Books 1-4


Jody Morse - 2012
    She finds herself caught in a web of family secrets and must decide between two fates: the one that was destined to be or the one that was chosen for her.From the bestselling authors of the Briar Creek Vampires series, the Howl series is a riveting tale of romance, friendship, and the true test of alliances.This is a collection of the first 4 books in the best-selling Howl series:1. Howl2. Blood Moon3. Wolfsbane4. Black Magic

The God of Sno Cone Blue


Marcia Coffey Turnquist - 2014
    Medallion.Story summary: Something is odd about Grace. She has mismatched eyes, one dark and one light. She thinks she's seen God. When her mother dies, she begins to get letters from her, as if from the grave. The letters tell of her mother's life before she married Grace's father, in time, confessing fiercely guarded family secrets. "I wasn't always a Preacher's Wife... I made mistakes along the way."Looking back, as a middle-aged woman, Grace relives those transformative years, coming of age in the 1960s as the daughter of The Reverend Thad Carsten and his much-younger wife, Sharon. When they move to a new neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, Sharon is healthy and Grace takes turmoil in stride: a new school, her backward neighbors, the simmering Vietnam War and political unrest. On the whole, life is sublime-until Sharon gets sick and dies. Then Grace's world turns upside down.Days after Sharon is gone, the letters to her daughter start coming, delivered mysteriously in the dark of night. Grace finds them-addressed to her-and devours every word, desperate to figure out who's delivering them. As she struggles with questions of loss and faith, she begins to butt heads with the preacher, increasingly focused on the mysterious messenger and her mother's letters. The handwritten pages arrive periodically as Grace matures, fostering a strange mother daughter relationship.Early on, the letters offer motherly advice, but increasingly they shift their focus to Sharon's early teens, eventually confessing a forbidden young adult romance. By then, Grace is desperate for the rest of the story, searching everywhere for her mother's writings, until finally there's a breakthrough. When she reads the last of the letters-and an astonishing truth-she embarks on a journey that changes her life and perspective forever.What did Sharon confess in the last letter to her daughter? How does it affect their unusual mother daughter relationship? As Grace runs away to trace her mother's past and teenage romance, what will she find?With its elements of romance and mystery, The God of Sno Cone Blue, sometimes searched as "Snow" Cone Blue is best described as contemporary women's fiction, though its strong central male character also appeals to men. The novel's storyline and mother daughter relationship are fitting Inspirational Fiction, and its passion and coming of age tale are appropriate for teenagers and young adults.* USA Today Bestselling Author Linda Needham on this inspirational fiction story: "The God of Sno Cone Blue is a joyous celebration of a young girl's journey to womanhood. Grace is a modern match for Tom Sawyer, with a grand spirit and enough spunk to weather the heartache of losing her mother at a tender age. Along the way, she gains the wisdom to recognize the breadth of her mother's love through a series of posthumous, sometimes shocking letters delivered in the years that follow. With a driving style and a colorful cast of eccentric characters, author Marcia Coffey Turnquist fiercely delivers equal parts laughter, sorrow and the kind of joy that will stay with you long after you've finished the book."*Author Rod Gramer on this novel fraught with family secrets: "Marcia has created a compelling character in Grace, one whose great personal loss is redeemed by a great personal discovery."*Portland Society Page editor Elisa Klein on the story's mystery and romance: "Surprises abound and the twists and turns kept me flipping pages late into the night as I curled up in my favorite chair to drink it all in."*Award-winning artist D.K. Lubarsky on this coming of age novel: "A masterful storyteller, Turnquist takes you on a magical journey of discovery in this poignant tale of innocence and growing up. The God of Sno Cone Blue is a delightful read."

Jabberwocky


Daniel Coleman - 2011
    Elora hides behind her scars, feeling unlovable in a world that only confirms her doubts. Before Tjaden has a chance to convince her that scars don’t matter, an even more terrifying monster comes between them—the Jabberwock. Tjaden must risk his life not only to prove his love to Elora but to save her life.If the secrets of the vorpal sword fail, so will Tjaden.Originally published as a novella (39,000 words) in 2011, many readers asked for a longer version of that delved more deeply into the story and subplots. This current version of JABBERWOCKY is a full novel at 69,000 words. It has been completely rewritten and augmented with illustrations by E.K. Stewart-Cook. JABBERWOCKY is the first book in the series, and the characters carry over to HATTER, RED KNIGHT, etc, but they play minor roles. For that reason, JABBERWOCKY is Book 0 and HATTER is Book 1, as it is the launching point for the rest of the books in the series.

Alligator Blood: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of the High-rolling Whiz-kid who Controlled Online Poker's Billions


James Leighton - 2013
    That is until he discovered the lucrative world of payment processing for online poker companies. Soon the Australian whiz-kid was living the American dream, raking in as much as $3m a week. Revelling in his jet set lifestyle of fast cars, luxury yachts and VIP nightclubs, he embarked on an epic rollercoaster of champagne fuelled excess which mirrored that of the extraordinary world of online poker, where hot shot college students won millions from the confines of their dorms, and fortunes were won or lost in seconds.However, Tzvetkoff’s move to the neon splattered underworld of Las Vegas would soon see him facing the abyss. Owing millions to the poker companies, and with the FBI hot on his trail, the tarnished boy wonder needed to pull an ace from his sleeve to keep from busting out. And when he did, it resulted in a day that sent a seismic shockwave through the world of online poker and saw him take the blame.