Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous-these all-new stories will ensure that readers never think of vampires (or birthdays) in quite the same way again. In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present. New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love. In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt. Plus ten more bloody good birthday stories that take the cake.Contents xi • Preface: A Few Words (Many Bloody Returns) • (2007) • essay by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner1 • Dracula Night • [Sookie Stackhouse 4.3] • shortstory by Charlaine Harris21 • The Mournful Cry of Owls • novelette by Christopher Golden50 • I Was a Teenage Vampire • novelette by Bill Crider73 • Twilight • [Women of the Otherworld Short Fiction 7.2] • novelette by Kelley Armstrong100 • It's My Birthday, Too • [The Dresden Files 9.2] • novella by Jim Butcher146 • Grave-Robbed • [Vampire Files] • novelette by P. N. Elrod176 • The First Day of the Rest of Your Life • [The Morganville Vampires: Extras 2.5] • novelette by Rachel Caine201 • The Witch and the Wicked • novelette by Jeanne C. Stein230 • Blood Wrapped • [Henry Fitzroy] • novelette by Tanya Huff254 • The Wish • shortstory by Carolyn Haines265 • Fire Ice and Linguini for Two • [Garnet Lacey 2.5] • novelette by Lyda Morehouse [as by Tate Hallaway ]290 • Vampire Hours • novelette by Elaine Viets318 • How Stella Got Her Grave Back • novelette by Toni L. P. Kelner

    Sexy shifters thrust into sudden fatherhood. Adorable shifter babies guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings. Fated mates and happily ever afters. Find them all in this collection of eight hot shifter romances! After being deployed to Afghanistan, I don’t think I’ll ever be right again. I can hardly keep my bear in check because of the PTSD that haunts me, and I’m ready to snap. So when I find out that my brother and sister-in-law were murdered—leaving me as the guardian of their little girl—I know I can’t handle this alone. I’m in no state to be a father. I need a nanny, stat. I knew Jessie would help soothe little Peyton’s heart. But I never expected her to capture mine. My bear knows Jessie belongs to him, but just my luck, she’s not one of us. Will our unimaginable secret send her running for good? Grab Nanny For The Soldier Bear and the following standalone shifter daddy romances in this sizzling anthology: Nanny For The Soldier Bear Holden's Mate Ranger Ramon Jackson's Nanny Werewolf Baby Daddy Daddy Soldier Bear Alpha's Secret Baby Royal Dragon Daddy WARNING: Steamy shifter scenes inside! Readers 18+.

    Treat yourself to a varied collection of hot, steamy, and passionate paranormal tales. This satisfying collection has something to excite all readers.With sexy shifters, hot vampires, wickedly cool witches, and so much more, this boxed set will has titles that will either warm you up or set you on fire—Take your pick!

    She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home for Girls is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs.But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.Inner DemonsHarper Madison is willing to do whatever it takes to get answers about the disappearance of her mother and about her own strange powers. Even if it means joining the Demons cheerleading squad, a secret training ground for witches. The training opens up a new world for Harper. It's a world of beauty and magic beyond her wildest dreams, but it's also a world of sinister expectations. A world where every secret hides an even darker secret.Bitter DemonsSo far, life in Peachville has been tough for Harper. She's survived attacks on her life, learned how to control her magic, and met the most gorgeous guy with an unbelievable secret. After her latest stunt at Brighton Hospital, life has gotten even more complicated. The Order of Shadows is determined to tighten their control on her life.When a future Prima from a nearby demon gate comes to town, she and Harper decide to use glamours to switch places at a party. All Harper wants is to have a little fun.But the night will end in blood.And Harper will find out the attack was meant for her...

    But fate has other ideas. Now, Grace finds herself not only the keeper of tremendous power, but the only person in the world able to control it.Change isn’t the only battle Grace must face in this new and frightening world. Seth McPhee, vampire and master in the art of seduction is hot on her heels. While Graces' power will ensure his leadership in the underworld, her beauty will make her captivity a pleasure. Rushing to her rescue is Lucian, a man who is more than he seems. Will he prove to be the white knight who he claims? Or is he just another beautiful monster?

    All she’s expecting is a normal couple of months hanging out at the beach with friends. Nothing out of the ordinary was supposed to happen.But as soon as she arrives she meets Holt Roth. Holt is unlike anyone she’s ever met before – and her reaction to him is even more unexpected.Then she meets his friend, Samuel Cheshire. If her reaction to Holt was strong, her reaction to Samuel is shocking. The only problem is that he seems to hate her for no reason at all. Not being able to choose between two guys is only the beginning of Autumn’s problems, because both Samuel and Holt are Fairy Princes, and Autumn is caught between her own desires and the Fairy Courts, who might cause her immeasurable pain if she makes the wrong choice.

    Some cases are bigger than others, but even a routine case can offer a few surprises. And in "Vampire Blues," Samantha Moon is about to discover that not all men are created equal...In "Nightmare," one parasitic vampire is about to meet his own worst nightmare...In "Soul Train," a young boy who hears a mysterious nightly train, is about to come-face-to-face with something not of this world...And a bonus short story that features one very famous vampire...

    I’m the smart aleck.”  “We’re the same. I’m night, you’re day. You have to have both to have life.”  “You can hide in the shadows.”  “And you can shine like the sun. This prophesy is about both of us.”  Destiny doesn't think she's anything special. The daughter of an outcast witch. Her twin, Fate, is her best friend, so that's awesome. They're experts in love potions and selling them to crazy high school kids. So they can buy more shoes. But that all changes when their school is attacked by warlocks—warlocks who want her power for their own. The attack launches her onto the path the stars have chosen for Destiny, Fate, and their long-lost father. Oh, and Quin. Quin, who's the son of a witch, only tolerating Destiny's presence because she can save his mother. Except along the way, that all changes, and he realizes Destiny is everything he never knew he wanted. The only problem is she thinks if love can be made from a potion, it can't be a real thing. If they survive this, he's going to prove her wrong.

    ETERNAL PASSION.Sink your teeth into these sexy paranormal stories from some of today's hottest authors.Until Death Do We Part by Sherrilyn KenyonOver five hundred years ago, Esperetta’s soul was bound to her husband’s by dark magic, and when Velkan became a Dark-Hunter, to her horror, she became immortal as well. Now, they must come together to fight an old enemy…and the passion that threatens to consume them once more.NOTE: This story has been re-released in the Dark Bites anthologyRide the Night Wind by L.A. BanksDark dreams haunt Jose Ciponte, dreams of a woman so beautiful he aches for her-and a deadly enemy who stalks them in the night. And now those dreams have become a reality…The Gift by Susan SquiresAll Major Davis Ware wants to do is propose to the beautiful Emma Fairchild. Instead, he is called back into battle, and a desperate fate. And Emma will venture into hell itself to save him.The Forgotten One by Ronda ThompsonLady Anne Baldwin longs to break free from her proper bonds. When she meets the mysterious Merrick, whose eyes glow like a wolf’s, she may have found more than she bargained for.

    Her Dragon, His Demon - Julia Mills - Her Dragon is strong and loyal, a leader among his kin. His Demon is beautiful and alluring, the other half of his soul. Together they must battle a darkness unlike any other led by Hell’s Chancellor himself. It’s not just their love that’s at stake…this time it’s their very existence. Kiss Of Fire - Catherine Vale - What begins as a one night stand with a mysteriously handsome stranger, turns into something far beyond the scope of imagination as Arianna finds herself led into a world of mystery, and magic...where tales of flying dragons, and dangerous witches come to life, and where nothing is ever what it seems. Dragon’s Treasure - Isadora Montrose - Dragon Lord Hugo Sarkany discovers money can’t buy the love of Leah, the feisty BBW he has transformed into his dragoness. How will this arrogant Alpha Male win the heart of his curvy fated mate? Dazzled - J.K. Harper - Love-scarred dragon shifter Sebastian must find his family's stolen legacies, or he will die. Curvy human Lacey is drawn to Sebastian, yet his dark secrets will only cause heartbreak and loss. She's his fated mate—but can she unlock his shattered heart in time? Bringing Christmas to the Dragons - Rinelle Grey - Dragon shifter Jayrian needs to convince the elders to accept help from the humans before his clan’s prince is discovered. Gretchen longs for adventure outside of the books she reads in her job as a small town librarian. Together they must find a way to save his prince and clan, without sacrificing who they are, or their budding relationship. Finding His Dragon - Élianne Adams - After months of torment at the hands of her own clan, Charlotte is sold to a rival clan. She refuses to be claimed by a man who is known for his mistreatment of women, and so she runs. The last thing she wants, or expects to find is her mate, but that's precisely what happens. If only she could stop running long enough to take what is rightfully hers. Alien General’s Wife - Scarlett Grove - He's her last hope ... and she might be his. When Indigo Robertson learns that her name has come up in the Draconian mating lottery, the timing couldn't be worse. The benevolent dragon shifter aliens need human women to replenish their DNA ... but their ancient enemy, the Mulgor, have just invaded! The Lost Tribe - Lola Kidd - Fae princess Lena is banished to strange land filled with strange creatures. When her tribe is threatened, she teams up with the handsome dragon shifter prince Troy. Together they fight to protect their homelands while also fighting their growing attraction to one another. Kiss of a Dragon - Alisa Woods - Lucian is a Dragon Prince of the House of Smoke… and he’s dying. He has to spawn a dragonling to uphold the treaty and keep the mortal world safe, but a dragon’s mate rarely survives… and he can’t face the horror of another death. When he rescues a beautiful woman, he has to seduce her without losing his heart… and before he turns feral and breaks the treaty forever.Taurus - Kim Faulks - Marcus Kane is the first of twelve. Dragon-born in the sign of Taurus he carries all the traits of the bull--the good and the bad. He's strong-willed, unbreakable. Deadly on land and in the sky, but when Marcus falls in love, he falls hard. He wasn't meant to fall for the wolf, Abrial. His only job was to protect those he loves--his family. Her Dragon's Bane – Harmony Raines - Forced to offer herself to a dragon to save her sister, curvy Serena finds their first encounter confusing, and intimately satisfying. But she can't let her guard down, men are cruel, she has been taught that her whole life, and this beast of a dragon can't be any different. Or can he? Is it possible that the creature she has been taught to fear, is the one she must learn to trust.

    Her journey turns into more adventure than expected when Meghan meets the mysterious Kiernan and accepts his invitation to a secret club, hidden beneath the streets of London. By the time Meghan learns of his strange beliefs, she has nearly lost the fight for her own survival. She flees the city and seeks sanctuary with Kiernan's twin, in a remote English village. Meghan soon discovers that she is in the middle of a centuries-old battle between two groups. The first seek to maintain their traditional way of life, while the other fight against their looming extinction. Twin brothers, separated too young to remember each other, must set aside personal loyalties and reunite to save their people and help the human they have both come to care about.

    Some men want you not only for your body, but your brains. Especially your brains.It’s true! There are men out there who care—early-rising, down-to-earth, indefatigable men who’ll follow you for miles. They’ll take the time to surprise you, over and over. One sniff of that perfume, and you’ll have to use a shotgun to fight them off. And then, once you get together, all they want is to share a nice meal. And another. And another.Romeo and Juliet, eat your hearts out."Bring Out Your Dead" by Katie MacAlister"Gentlemen Prefer Voodoo" by Angie Fox"Zombiewood Confidential" by Marianne Mancusi"Every Part of You" by Lisa Cach

    3 Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong - Half-demon Hope is sent to museum gala by mentor Tristan to catch werewolf thief Mateson. 4 Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland - On their first date, Kit goes too far with Eric, shot by bystander Chávez, then wakes to no blood, no body.

    An elite group of vampires who must serve and protect their secret community – and uphold the… LAWS OF THE BLOODIn Los Angeles, the Enforcer Selim has been called upon to approve a hunt. Much time has passed since the vampires of the city have last tasted fresh blood, and they are clamoring for the kill. It’s Selim’s job to keep them under control – and there are those who resent his authority.He must not waver or show weakness when he gives the Law – his life and the life of his mortal love, Siri, depend on his strength. But a whispered rumor is distracting him, a rumor of betrayal, of a violation of the most sacred of the Laws: Never reveal the truth about your own kind… THE HUNT

    The Three Book Box Set is a Limited Time Offer so Grab it Fast! The Howard Witches, three siblings charged with protecting The Demon Isle... Charlie, the werewolf. Michael, the empathic death reader. Melinda, living under self-inflicted house arrest. Her gift: prophetic dreams of people about to die. Their mentor, the four-hundred year old Vampire, William Wakefield. Charming, ridiculously handsome, and walking a dangerous line between sinking into darkness and living in the light. In constant temptation to declare his love for the one woman that could be his undoing. The story begins with an unsolved murder. One that will change everything... Come stalk the streets of The Demon Isle... you'll go up against witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, shapeshifters, ghosts, mermaids, faeries and a host of other devious supernatural creatures waiting to wreak havoc on The Demon Isle. Where fans of the paranormal come to vacation and immerse themselves in fantasy. Where magic comes to life, mysteries abound, and you might just find yourself laughing, crying, and most definitely, falling in love. In Book One: Melinda Howard is the Demon Isle's weird girl... the one that's been holed up in the Howard Mansion for the last four years. Why? No one knows the truth except her family... a long line of witches charged with protecting the Demon Isle, along with their mentor, the four-hundred year old Vampire, William Wakefield. Another reason Melinda doesn't mind her self-inflicted imprisonment. She gets to spend her days with the charming vampire, who also happens to be her best friend. Only now, she's spending her night's with him too. He just doesn't know it... Any other girl would enjoy the nightly thrill of a sexy vampire invading her dreams. But not Melinda as her dreams have a tendency to come true. Although typically, they don't include the handsome vampire she's crushing on, but rather horrifying visions of people about to die. But she cannot stay under self-inflicted house arrest forever. And if her brothers or William get their choice in the matter, Melinda will be out of the house partying with her friends, giving her affections to a human, not a vampire, and digging into her role as a witch. A role her eldest brother Charlie lives for and a role her second brother Michael would rather live without. Nevertheless, when duty calls, usually from the local sheriff needing help with some tourist who's gotten themselves into trouble, life screeches to a stop, and duty takes over. Such is the case when the sheriff needs help with a four-year-old murder investigation; one she fears has a supernatural cause. To assist her in the case, she calls upon the skills of The Howard Witches. However, what they learn might be more than any of them can deal with, or accept. Worse yet, they fear what this discovery will do to Melinda, as it returns them all to the core of her self-imprisonment. Back to the lives, she could not save... Wicked Good Witches... Book 1: Demon Street Blues Book 2: Alpha Knows Best Book 3: Bye Bye Bloodsucker Book 4: Ghast Me Gently Book 5: A Nightmare to Remember Book 6: A Stake With a View Book 7: Bite Me, Baby!