Nothing will stand in his way. After learning she’s targeted by a Columbian drug mob, the former Navy SEAL will do everything in his power to protect her.His touch ignites her passion and his tender concern touches her soul. But Cindy has a deadly secret she hides from Etienne, one that not only risks losing her heart to handsome shifter, but her very life.

    Toss them together in one anthology. Add a dash of romance, a pinch of humor and a dollop of mystery. Stir in a few ghosts, a handful of sorcerers and garnish with magic for the perfect witch's brew. A Tale of Two Witches ~ Christiana Miller and Barbra AnninoTwo young witches join forces to take on a soul-stealer when he threatens the small town of Amethyst, IL.Black Magic Wiccan ~ Toni LoTempioOn one of her last assignments before leaving PSI, Wiccan witch Morgan Hawkes calls upon her Voodoo heritage to battle a vengeful spirit.The Kiss ~ Edie RamerIn this modern-day version of Sleeping Beauty, a woman whose ancestor was accused of being a witch in Salem is the only hope of a dying man with unusual powers.The Trouble With Spells ~ Camilla ChaferA witch couple must solve a family mystery using both their magic and their wits.Rianna's Revenge ~ Dale MayerA young hydromancer must win a challenge to save her place as rightful heir to her elemental house. When she discovers her ex--the man she still loves--is one of the judges, she wonders just how many enemies she's really fighting.A Ghostly Match ~ Misty EvansWhen a Voodoo matchmaker looking for her soul mate pleads to her dead grandmother for help, she opens the door to a ghostly client with an impossible demand.A Samhain Surprise ~ Debora GearyEnchanter's Realm is an online game for witches. And the creators have a surprise ready this Hallow's Eve.The Witch is Back ~ Rose PresseyStormy Sanders discovers a beautiful crystal, but with it comes a witchy fairy godmother. When Stormy attempts her first magic spell on Halloween night, mysterious Gavin Wickcliffe shows up at her door. That's when she realizes there's a lot more to magic than she expected.Cats and Dogs ~ J.L. BryanEnchanted cookies from a witchy neighbor help connect Sadie with her own pets--and that handsome neighbor she's been eyeing.The Hazards of Desire ~ Wren EmersonIn a town full of witches, a young witch learns that love can be dangerous.Orion's Moon ~ Teri ReidWhen blood-born witch Cassidy Maguire opens her home to a stray dog she names Orion, little does she realize that she will not only be the hunter, but the hunted.

    Read with caution!Life has settled down for Nicole Peyton and Derek Gabriel. They've fought battles and won, but friends and family still struggle with the scars. During their first Christmas together, surrounded by the people they love most, Derek and Nick give each other the less tangible gifts that matter most--and the too tangible gifts that mean forever.

    Not the modern, hippy kind… the real, wand-wielding, pixie dust kind. After a life devoted to retail and coffee drinks, Mathilda is thrown into the secret world of witches, warlocks, werewolves, vampires, faeries, headless horsemen, you name it, it exists… even whirling dervishes!As Mathilda discovers her magic, she also discovers she’s prophesied to save the world. Problem is, she’d rather spend her time on online auctions, bidding on cut-rate but fabulous designer shoes. Now, she’s got to save the world, run her coffee house, battle against her co-worker in “The War of the Wooden Spoons” and figure out what’s going on with the silent, watchful (but yummy) Sebastian Wilding, a member of a centuries old Secret Society who has vowed to keep her safe and brainy, sweet (and hot) Dr. Aidan Seymour, a maverick member of The Royal Institute of Psychical Research. Making matters worse, her nemesis is a powerful witch who doesn’t mind fighting dirty. Will Mathilda be able to save the world while still being perfectly accessorized? And how is she going to pick between Luscious Sebastian and Dreamy Aidan? And will she be able to talk The Witches Council into updating their uniform? And, lastly, will she ever get the hang of riding around on a broom?

    Banks, Kelley Armstrong, and many more! Horror fiction explores the dark side of human nature, often pushing the limits of violence, graphic gore, and extreme emotions. But with the popularity of shows and movies, such as "The Walking Dead," "True Blood," "Twilight," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," audiences have demonstrated their love for the genre--especially accompanied with a dose of humor to tone down the terror."Blood Lite III: Aftertaste" continues to put the fun back into dark fiction, featuring a wide range of humorous and highly entertaining horror-filled tales. Edited by Horror Writers Association founding member and award-winning author Kevin J. Anderson, the stories vary in tone from wry to downright laugh-out-loud funny. Featuring such well-known horror writers as Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christopher Golden, and many others, this collection of tales is perfect for anyone who enjoys being entertained as much as they love a good scare.Contents:I was a teenage Bigfoot / Jim Butcher --Blood-red greens / Joel A. Sutherland --V plates / Kelley Armstong --Put on a happy face / Christopher Golden --Devil's contract / E.S. Magill --Nine-tenths of the law / Eric James Stone --Scrumptious bone bread / Jeff Strand --Let that be a lesson to you / Mark Onspaugh --Mint in box / Mike Baron --Great zombie invasion of 1979 / J.G. Faherty --Dating after the apocalypse / Stephen Dorato --Typecast / Jeff Ryan --Making the cut / Mike Resnick, Lezli Robyn --Acknowledgments / Will Ludwigsen --Mannequin / Heather Graham --Short term / Daniel Pyle --Distressed travelers / Nina Kiriki Hoffman --Bayou brawl / L.A. Banks --Steeple people / John Alfred Taylor --For sale / David Sakmyster --Man who could not be bothered to die / Norman Prentiss --Last demon / Don D'Ammassa --Misadventure to call your own / Adrian Ludens --Smoke and mirrorballs / Chris Abbey --Brians!!! / D.L. Snell --Still life / Ken Lilli-Paetz --Day in the life / Sherrilyn

    Free short story in Nalini Singh's Newsletter.A short story about Jessamy and Galen.For those of you unfamiliar with the Guild Hunter series, this story features Galen, Weaponsmaster to the Archangel Raphael, and Jessamy, Historian of the angelic race and teacher of their young.For Guild Hunter fans, this story takes place during Archangel’s Kiss, after Galen has just completed a training session with Elena.

     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

     Fee is a fire mage on an impossible mission. After cutting her teeth on tales of dragons' dastardliness, she willingly straps explosives to her belly and sets off to infiltrate the home base of the shifters who rule over all mankind. Mason is the Lord Dragon tasked with protecting ordinary humans from harm. As part of his duties, he squashes a forest fire...then stumbles across a comatose woman who triggers his urge to collect and preserve rare beauty. The world Fee wakes into is very different from the medieval society she'd imagined would exist within a dragon's lair. But can she protect these well-fed, happy people when her overbearing father is in charge of her bomb's detonator switch? This 24,000 word novella is a standalone set within the Dragon Mage world.

    They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales.  Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily.  But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed.  And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem. Includes:Retribution Clause by Ilona AndrewsBigfoot on Campus by Jim ButcherHolly’s Balm by Rachel CaineSnow Job by Carole Nelson DouglasOutside The Box by P. N. ElrodHow Do You Feel? by Simon R. GreenThere Will Be Demons by Lori HandelandCherry Kisses by Erica HayesThe Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie VaughnLength: 13 hours and 8 minutes

    Exclusive Charley Davidson Short Story featured in the December 2016 newsletter.

    Stacy Justice is called on to help a sassy southern witch when her spell goes haywire.

    series) War was cruelty, cruelty was war. Sacrifices must be made by both sides. Rydere Dardanos was king of the Dardaptos people—the race of beings responsible for the ancient vampire legends. He’d do anything to protect his people in the war between the Dardaptoans and all those named Taniss. Emily Taniss was the new CEO of Taniss Industries, the company her grandfather started sixty years ago. The company responsible for so many horrific acts against the Dardaptoan people. Her grandfather’s actions held many repercussions for Emily and her cousins. It would take them years to straighten it all out. But Emily didn’t have years, she had only moments. Rydere saw the young woman’s death as a necessary sacrifice for his people. So many of his people had been lost at Taniss hands, her death was only fitting. Owed to his people. He didn’t have to like killing her, but he would do it. He held her small body clutched against him as he lowered his fangs toward her neck. He would make it easy on her, he would make it quick. Until his first taste of her blood made it clear to him she wasn’t just a sacrifice. She was his destined mate...and queen of his people. Now he would have to convince her of that...

    Esladas is a member of the Patron ruling class and determined to prove himself in the army. His plans are disrupted by the outgoing and beautiful girl who sells him fruit in the market, though, despite the fact that neither of them speaks a word of the others language. Brief conversations and stolen moments together soon become something more, but when their divided cultures clash, Kiya and Esladas must decide if their blossoming love is worth becoming outsiders for the rest of their lives. Read the beginning of their legendary love story in this Court of Fives companion novella!

    But when a young man is killed after spending the night in the house, and the mannequins in the attic start to come to life, it’s clear that this is serious paranormal activity. Maybe this time, a real witch is needed.Recommended by a mutual friend, vintage clothes expert Lily Ivory arrives to offer her help with the mannequins. Armed with Lily’s spells and Mel’s know-how, the two women must figure out the cause of all of the ghostly commotion—before Mel’s renovation project turns into even more of a deadly haunt…Includes a preview of the Haunted Home Renovation Mystery, Keeper of the Castle.

    Previously published in the print anthology Unbound.A nightwalker is slain, and suspicion falls on Mira—Fire Starter—the last hope of her immortal race, in Jocelynn Drake's The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten.