Demons, djinn, and bad boys of other worlds ignite this set of action-packed urban fantasy and steamy paranormal romance. Nine heart-stopping stories with fierce and feisty heroines, diabolic intrigue, romance, adventure, danger, and mystery. . . . Passionate heroes, magic and mayhem abound. Ignite your imagination and your heart, download this collection before it’s gone!Chosen ~ Christine PopeWhen a fatal fever nearly wipes out the entire world's population, the survivors of what became known as "the Dying" believe the worst is in the past. Little do they know….Three Wishes ~ Debra DunbarA malevolent djinn, a cyber-crime, an angel with a mission, and a demon who just wants to have fun. Be careful what you wish for.Marked by Temptation ~ Deanna ChaseWhen sex witch Mati Ballintine meets the sexy Vaughn Paxton, their hot one-night stand changes his life forever and threatens hers.Jinn’s Wish ~ Marie HallPaz and Jinni only wanted one thing in life. To find their soulmate. Too bad they found each other on a doomed flight across the Atlantic. Trapped in magically induced coma, there’s only one way for them to return to the land of the living, and that's to trust in a love that defies all logic and reason before the final grain of sand drops and they lose each other forever.I Bring the Fire Part One (A Loki Story) ~ C. GockelAmy Lewis is being pursued by a very bad wolf. Can Loki, God of Mischief and Chaos, save her . . . or even save himself?Xoe ~ Sara C. RoetheFighting to save her best friend from a psychotic werewolf, Xoe has to make peace with her unique heritage . . . and resist an alluring vampire.Stronger Than Magic ~ Melinda VanLoneTarian Xannon fights demons like the rest of us. This time, the demon just happens to be real.Beyond the Veil ~ Pippa DaCostaMuse must decide whether to trust a Prince of Hell, or the assassin sent to kill her. Little do they know, she’s more dangerous than both.Death’s Hand ~ S.M. ReineElise Kavanagh doesn’t want to hunt demons anymore. But when the daughter of a coven member has been possessed, Elise is the only one who can help . . . and there may be more to this possession than just one witch’s life.[Special 9-book, limited-edition bundle.]

    Green, Patricia Briggs, and more. A massive, monumental volume of paranormal crime fiction by bestselling authors. Gripping tales of mayhem include both novellas and short stories like "Stalked by," by Kelley Armstrong, "The Judgment" by worldwide bestselling author Anne Perry, "Appetite for Murder" by Simon R. Green, "Road Dogs" by Norman Partridge, "The Hex Is In" by Mike Resnick, "Doppelgangster" by Laura Resnick, the chilling "If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me" by Michael A. Stackpole, and many, many, more.Compiled and edited by the world's most prolific anthologist-the award-winning Martin H. Greenberg-this is the biggest paranormal crime book on the market and the ultimate collection for ghost hunters and thrill seekers everywhere. Also included are multiple stories by New York Times bestselling authors. The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told is a new book in the series, which includes The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told and The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told.

    Terrifying urban myths, malicious ghosts, cursed architecture, malignant city deities, personal demons (in business or relationships) twisted into something worse virtually anything that inspires the contributors to imagine some bit of urban darkness."

    

    From video game characters seeking civil rights and a cave dragon loan shark pondering an investment, to Santa Claus's Australian vacation and an enemy of Sam Spade's out for revenge, plus visits to the Nightside and Sookie Stackhouse's hometown, these stories will take readers around the world on a magical mystery tour."Lucky" by Charlaine Harris -- a Sookie Stackhouse short"Bogieman" by Carole Nelson Douglas"Looks are Deceiving" by Micheal A. Stackpole"the House of Seven Spirits" by Sharon Shinn"Glamour" by Mike Doogan"Spellbound" by Donna Andrews"the Duh Vice" by Michael Armstrong"Weight of the World" by John Straley"Illumination" by Laura Anne Gilman"the House" by Laurie R. King"Appetite for Murder" by Simon R. Green -- a Nightside short"A Woman's Work" by Dana Stabenow

    Diana is a Guardian charged with saving innocents and destroying evil wherever she finds it. Because if she doesn't, evil will find her—and kill her first.In Children of the Night, Diana is running her friend’s occult shop in New York City when trouble does finds her. Mr. Trouble, as she calls him, is a vampire whose psychic power makes her radar go off the charts. So when she discovers that he’s the new benefactor of ex-boyfriend Dave Kendall’s band, she’s not surprised to see how bad Kendall looks. It will take all of Diana’s power—and the aid of a sexy vampire protector with a score of his own to settle—if she’s to save Kendall now….In Burning Water, Diana gets a call from Detective Mark Valdez, an old college friend turned cop. When Valdez realizes that the serial killer stalking Dallas is not human, he knows he needs help. Unfortunately, Tezcatilpoca, an angry Aztec god, is on the rampage and Diana fears she’s met her match. But as luck would have it, Texcatilpoca isn’t the only god in the world.In Jinx High, Diana is summoned to Oklahoma by an old friend who fears that his teenage son is in supernatural danger from a fellow classmate. Faye Harper, the “it” girl with a mean streak a mile wide, is actually a sorceress whose power is disturbing. So disturbing, in fact, that an ancient being who slumbers underground is being awakened by it…and all hell is about to break loose—literally. Jacket art by Chris McGrath. (Approx. 800 pp.) 1989-1991.

    This excerpt from The Hazel Wood—Melissa Albert's fiercely stunning contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of The Magicians—contains the first six chapters.Everyone is talking about The Hazel Wood!“Thoroughly, creepily captivating.” —Kristin Cashore, author of Graceling and Jane, Unlimited “This book is pure imagination candy.” —Stephanie Garber, author of Caraval “Destined to be a classic.” —Kami Garcia, author of The Lovely Reckless “Absolutely breathtaking.” —Seanan McGuire, author of Every Heart a Doorway “Terrifying, magical, and surprisingly funny.” —Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places “Unlike anything else I’ve ever read before.” —Evelyn Skye, author of The Crown’s Game “A part of me will never leave The Hazel Wood.” —Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere “An elegant dark fairy tale, full of the power of story.” —Kat Howard, author of Roses and Rot

    . . BUT NOT ALWAYS WHERE YOU EXPECT IT. From New York to Los Angeles to Bucharest, fifteen never-before-published tales by some of the world’s finest fantasy and horror writers celebrate the newest incarnations of an age-old terror that strikes when the moon is full . . . the werewolf. No longer confined to the forests, these modern monsters can be found in places you frequent every day—and never before thought to fear.CARRIE VAUGHN’s popular werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is drawn into a controversy as to whether it’s fair to ban lycanthropy from professional sports. New York’s famous Plaza Hotel is the setting for ESTHER M. FRIESNER’s tale of one very grisly little girl, while Beverly Hills may never quite recover from RON GOULART’s middle-aged Hollywood screenwriter who falls prey to a most unusual problem. Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death. Plus many more biting tales from award-winning authors:HOLLY BLACK • P.D. CACEK • GREGORY FROST • TANITH LEE HOLLY PHILLIPS • MIKE RESNICK • DARRELL SCHWEITZER • LISA TUTTLE IAN WATSON • GENE WOLFE • CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO

    What she doesn't realize is that she and Pallo share a past, and only he can help her discover who she really is.

    These stories are about the future, worlds beyond our own, the realms of our imaginations and dreams but, more importantly, they are the stories of ourselves. Featuring best-selling writers and emerging talents, here are some of the most exciting genre writers working today. Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan once again brings you the best stories from the past year. Within you will find twenty-eight amazing tales from authors across the globe, displaying why science fiction and fantasy are genres increasingly relevant to our turbulent world.CONTENT “Tough Times All Over”, Joe Abercrombie “The Scrivener”, Eleanor Arnason “Moriabe’s Children”, Paolo Bacigalupi “Covenant”, Elizabeth Bear “Slipping”, Lauren Beukes “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)”, Holly Black “Shadow Flock”, Greg Egan “The Truth About Owls”, Amal El-Mohtar “Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology”, Theodora Goss “Cold Wind”, Nicola Griffith “Someday”, James Patrick Kelly “Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No.8)”, Caitlin R Kiernan “Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters Because They are Terrifying”, Alice Sola Kim “Amicae Aeternum”, Ellen Klages “Calligo Lane”, Ellen Klages “The Lady and the Fox”, Kelly Link “The Long Haul From the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION”, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009”, Ken Liu “The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family”, Usman T Mailk “Four Days of Christmas”, Tim Maughan “The Fifth Dragon”, Ian McDonald “Shay Corsham Worsted”, Garth Nix “I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There”, K. J. Parker “Kheldyu”, Karl Schroeder “Tawny Petticoats”, Michael Swanwick “Grand Jeté (The Great Leap)”, Rachel Swirsky “The Insects of Love”, Genevieve Valentine “Collateral”, Peter Watts “The Devil in America”, Kai Ashante Wilson

    When daughter Allie finds herself knee-deep in demons, Demon Hunter Kate Connor must come to the rescue in this first short story featuring not only Kate, but fourteen year old Allie, too!

    

    Cheat. Bargain. Fight. Accept. Bribe. Conquer. Evade. No matter what humanity tries, Death always wins. Or does it? Discover the answer in The Death of All Things, where twenty-two writers take their shot at the Grim Reaper with explorations of the mythical, fantastical, and futuristic bonds between life and death. Learn the cost of mortality, the perils—and joys—of the afterlife, and the potential pitfalls of immortality … Featuring stories from: K. M. Laney, Andrea Mullen, Faith Hunter, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Jason M. Hough, Julie Pitzel, Shaun Avery, Christie Golden, Leah Cutter, Aliette de Bodard, Andrew Dunlop, Juliet E. McKenna, A. Merc Rustad, Ville Meriläinen, Amanda Kespohl, Mack Moyer, Fran Wilde, Kathryn McBride, Andrija Popovic, Jim C. Hines, Stephen Blackmoore, and Kiya Nicoll. Introduction by Laura Anne Gilman & Kat Richardson“Raveling” by K. M. Laney“Death and Mrs. Morrison” by Andrea Mullen“Death and the Fashionista” by Faith Hunter“Awake, Awake” by Kendra Leigh Speedling“The End” by Jason M. Hough“The Dance” by Julie Pitzel“The Legend of John Barrett” by Shaun Avery“The Wolves of Lady Death” by Christie Golden“Wedding Vows” by Leah Cutter“Cicada Song, in a Country Since Long Gone” by Aliette de Bodard“Dying on Stage” by Andrew Dunlop“A Constant Companion” by Juliet E. McKenna“Thrice Remembered” by A. Merc Rustad“Charnel House” by Ville Meriläinen“How Death Came By His Soul” by Amanda Kespohl“The Tab” by Mack Moyer“Death and My Mentions” by Fran Wilde“A Shift in Mood” by Kathryn McBride“Finding the Dancer” by Andrija Popovic“The Fallow Grave of Dream” by Jim C. Hines“What Happens in Vegas” by Stephen Blackmoore“Delayed Exchange Deferred” by Kiya Nicoll

    Here are twenty-three original tales—stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic—produced specifically for this volume by many of today’s finest writers. Included are Orson Scott Card’s first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade, and an original adventure by Fred Van Lente, writer of Cowboys & Aliens. Other contributors include Tobias S. Buckell, David Farland, Alan Dean Foster, Jeffrey Ford, Laura Anne Gilman, Rajan Khanna, Mike Resnick, Beth Revis, Fred Van Lente, Walter Jon Williams, Ben H. Winters, Christie Yant, and Charles Yu, with an introduction by editor John Joseph Adams.CONTENTS:01 - Joe R. Lansdale, The Red-Headed Dead02 - Ben H. Winters, The Old Slow Man and his Gold Gun from Space03 - David Farland, Hellfire on the High Frontier04 - Mike Resnick, The Hell-Bound Stagecoach05 - Seanan McGuire, Stingers and Strangers06 - Charles Yu, Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger07 - Alan Dean Foster, Holy Jingle08 - Beth Revis, The Man With No Heart09 - Alastair Reynolds, Wrecking Party10 - Hugh Howey, Hell from the East11 - Rajan Khanna, Second Hand12 - Orson Scott Card, Alvin and the Apple Tree13 - Elizabeth Bear, Madam Damnable's Sewing Circle14 - Tad Williams, Strong Medicine15 - Jonathan Maberry, Red Dreams16 - Kelley Armstrong, Bamboozled17 - Tobias S. Buckell, Sundown18 - Jeffrey Ford, La Madre del Oro19 - Ken Liu, What I Assume You Shall Assume20 - Laura Anne Gilman, The Devil's Jack21 - Walter Jon Williams, The Golden Age22 - Fred Van Lente, Neversleeps23 - Christie Yant, Dead Man's Hand

    Someone has kidnapped his fated mate, Cat, and Patrick is imprisoned. He makes a deal with the devil to be freed, and when he finds Cat, she has no memory of him or the life they lived together. Can Patrick convince Cat that he is her fated mate?Grizzly Bell Rock by Cynthia FoxWhen the feisty O'Reilly sisters, Gracie and Catherine, travel over the river and through the woods straight into Mistletoe Hollow and its population of shifters, Two hunky shopkeepers show them the best Christmas presents come with four legs and fur.How the Bear Stole Christmas by Claire RyannWhen an opportunity to run a friend's coffee shop for the winter season lands Andi in the path of the surly man that the locals call "the Grinch" will she be able to see beneath his gruff exterior to discover that the California Grizzly never really went extinct?New Year Wolf by J.K. HarperCaleb Bardou is a fighter at heart. When he was justifiably stripped of his Pack Guardian status, it knocked him out cold. But with his hard-won mate, Rielle, now by his side, Caleb forges a promising new path--until his arch nemesis threatens to take the shine off Caleb and Rielle's bright new year.Before the Hunt by J.M. KlaireWhen a wolf shifter with commitment issues teams up with a runaway bride to find her a new groom, the claws come out and the fur flies.Bearing the Freeze by Christa KelleyPolar bear shifter Gage Weston, known to the world as the Paranormal Problem-Solver, returns to his hometown to face down the one problem he could never solve: Mending Lily Tisdale's broken heart.The Cowbear's Secret Christmas Baby by Liv BrywoodForced to hunt down the cowboy shifter who broke her heart, Rachel must convince Brady to help her save the dying son he never knew existed.The Alpha Warlock Shifter's Gift (An Alpha Warlock of Kala West Short) by Auriella SkyeIt's Christmas time in Kala West, but with werewolf Danika being forced to marry a stranger and half-breed Blaine's out-casting from the warlock community, they aren't in the holiday spirit. When the two realize their past connection to each other, even Florida won't be a match for the magical heat between them.Winter Solstice by Gen GéricaultOn the longest, darkest day of the year, magic sizzles the snow between cursed bear shifter Clayton Afters and his witchy true mate, Clementine Weatherspoon--but the winter solstice is full of surprises for this fated pair.The Panther's Runaway Surrogate by Alyse ZaftigSurrogate Devanta is on the run, but the baby's father, a billionaire panther shifter, won't rest until he catches her.Bear Naked for Christmas by Edith HawkesChristmas in the arms of a handsome stranger, with a furry secret, wasn't on Katie's wishlist, but she sure wasn't going to say no and return him!Jingle Bell Howl by Misha CarverWhen reckless Laney Reynolds defies her parents and steals her mother's car to go on a ski trip for Christmas vacation, things spiral out of control quickly. Will Nate, the handsome and charming billionaire wolf shifter be able to save her from herself as well as the forces that threaten to harm her? Snow Leopard Mountain by Suki SelborneWhen workaholic executive assistant Cadence takes a business trip to Aspen, she never expected to find herself a suspect in a kidnapping -- or to be swept off her feet by Sawyer, a hot snow leopard shifter who might just know how to make her dreams come true.Found by Olivia ArranWhen Alpha Adam Colstone escapes to his winter cabin for some much needed solitude and relaxation, rescuing a voluptuous she-wolf from frostbite was definitely not part of his plan. Waking up in the arms of a sizzling hot stranger, Claire Kendal thought all her Christmases had come at once...but she had to keep on running-didn't she?