A short story on forbidden love

    She despises her daughter’s blemished looks. Such an ugly duckling is a shame to the house of Knightley among society’s more refined peers. When the young woman turns eighteen her father decides it is high time his daughter marry, but who would even consider such an imperfect girl? It is a troubling question. A passing reference in Regency court to the reclusive Lord Albert Errol, Duke of Whittington, provides a solution. Stewart Knightley approaches the mysterious Duke with an offer to restore his lost fortunes. In return he will take the hand of Florence. Thus begins an unlikely journey that will transform the duckling to a swan. In this original Regency fairytale the classic parable of the Ugly Duckling takes a decidedly romantic Regency turn.

    And when things begin to backfire on her, she decides it's time to pull out her biggest surprise ever.

    If you see a door leading to the basement, inform a librarian immediately.(The entire library is strictly off limits during winter break.)~*~Ever since she was young, Kennedy Fisher has been obsessed with dragons. Now that she’s matured a little, she’s added Rex Draconis to her list of obsessions.Not that she needs more than two things on her list. I mean, a billionaire heir bad boy and dragons are probably more than enough to last her a lifetime, don’t you think?Anyways!Rex is nice enough, though she wouldn’t say he’s into her. Except then why did he join her paranormal mysteries club? And why does he give her an ancient book explaining some of Steamydale’s oldest small town secrets on Christmas Eve?One of those secrets leads to her breaking a very important rule, which also leads to the discovery that her list of obsessions may be shorter than she first thought.Dragon’s may actually exist! And one’s been hiding under her nose this entire time...Also, that point about Rex Draconis not being into her? Um, that may have been slightly wrong...Talk about obsessions!By the end of the night and into a hot and heavy Christmas morning, she’s going to find out just how wrong she was. If they survive a rule-breaking adventure in the university library, that is...

    Several pages have been finished with soft sparkles giving the book a magical feel.

    So when an enchanting elderly couple enters the bakery where she works and orders a cake for their 75th anniversary, she's not quite sure what to make of the "wishing dust" they leave her with. Soon enough she discovers it has more power--and surprises--than she ever imagined.A fresh, original romantic comedy in novelette form, The Wishing Cake is short enough to be devoured in one sitting, rich enough to be savored for years.

    However, the urge to explore and experiment amongst the youth is at an all-time high. This friction, if not handled well, could lead to unexpected roads. Each story, though high on emotions, unfolds in a thrilling narrative.

    But he's never noticed her. Because of previous mishaps at other jobs, Eve chooses to hide herself with dowdy clothing, over-sized glasses and an unflattering hairstyle. When her girlfriends confront her with the fact that she's not dating, Eve realizes she has to deal with her attraction to Nick and get him out of her system. One kiss, that's all she wants. Operation Stealth Elf is born. Eve attends her company's Christmas costume party as a very sexy, naughty elf. She catches Nick's attention and gets way more than a kiss. Before the clock strikes midnight, Eve escapes into the night, leaving her panties behind. The following week at work, Nick stuns her when he asks for her help in finding his naughty elf. Short of having every woman in his company try on the red lace panties that Eve left behind, he'll stop at nothing to discover the elf's true identity.

    Casey, author of Stygian Doorways

    Featuring Newford fiddler Geordie Riddell, it's a gentle story of love, loss and the bonds of friendship.First published in Post Mortem edited by Paul F.Olson and David B. Silva, 1989; also appears in Dreams Underfoot and The Very Best of Charles de Lint.Timeskip is where Newford began: "Newford was not planned out in advance. It started (unbeknownst to me) with“Timeskip,” a short story that I wrote for an anthology. I wanted to set the story somewhere other than the Ottawa area where most of my stories had taken place, but I didn’t feel comfortable writing about a city that I couldn’t physically visit. So I decided to use various aspects of large urban centers that I had visited, and create a fictitious setting."–Charles de Lint, from an interview with FairyRoom.com"I can never recapture the feeling of first arriving in Newford and meeting the people and seeing the sights as a newcomer. However, part of the beauty of Newford is the sense that it has always been there, that de Lint is a reporter who occasionally files stories from a reality stranger and more beautiful than ours. De Lint also manages to keep each new Newford story fresh and captivating because he is so generous and loving in his depiction of the characters. Yes, there are a group of core characters whose stories recur most often, but a city like Newford has so many intriguing people in it, so many diverse stories to tell, so much pain and triumph to chronicle."— Challenging DestinyCharles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.— Alice HoffmanCharles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.— Holly BlackDe Lint is probably the finest contemporary author of fantasy– Booklist, American Library AssociationUnlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it’s just damned fine writing.– Quill QuireDe Lint’s evocative images, both ordinary and fantastic, jolt the imagination.– Publishers WeeklyIt is hard to imagine urban fantasy done with greater skill– Booklist, American Library Association

    Not everyone can. Who decides? Desperate to save his daughter from a mysterious sickness, Daniel applies for the Methuselah Treatment. If she gets it, his daughter won’t just recover, she’ll live forever. But the drug is tightly controlled, and only the special, the talented, and the truly deserving ever receive it. There is nothing special about Daniel’s destitute ten- year-old girl—or is there?

    Family problems: check. Burning things to the ground problems: double-check. Wynonna Riggs, daughter of Gloriana the Queen of the Winter Fairies, searches for her place in her mother's kingdom. The problem-she is convinced that her purpose is outside the protective wards of Shady Grove. No one in her family seems to understand. Her "boyfriend" just wants to be her mate. The only two people who seem to get it is the local Vampirate and the Bad Boy she shouldn't be around. Stories of Frost and Fire starts with an introduction to how Winnie sees the world and finding her place in it. Zero Hour is the prequel to the series.

     Laurel Ashwood needs a miracle. All her six-week old daughter wants for Christmas is a daddy...just for the holidays while Nana visits from Montana. Laurel and her former boss, construction tycoon Nick St. John, used to share a chemistry. But will Nick want to cooperate? Six months ago, she’d left him without a word. Nick can’t believe Laurel is back. Now he can finish what they’d begun months before. But he won’t accept a “couple of days.” If Laurel wants him to play along with a fake engagement, he’s got his own naughty and nice list. A kiss under the mistletoe is just the beginning.

    Armentrout brings her trademark drama and intrigue to this new series with a girl caught up in a world she doesn't understand, secrets long buried, a betrayal that could tear her life apart...and Armentrout's most swoonworthy book boyfriend yet.Seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher knows firsthand the devastating consequences of humanity's war with the aliens. When she's caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    But she has something else entirely in mind.Kal Carter is disciplined and focused and those things have served him well while training for the Olympics. But in preparing for fatherhood, he learns that neither one of those traits is worth a damn.