Our issues are also filled with author interviews, art features, book reviews and tips for writers. This month, we feature an exclusive interview with Brandon Sanderson on his latest journey to the United Arab Emirates. We also include short stories from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler* ("The Beesinger's Daughter"), Amazon bestselling Carrie Anne Noble ("The Perfect Specimen"), and Cecilia Dart-Thornton who came out of hiding to let us publish her latest ("The Churchyard Yarrow"). We also feature stories this month by Steve Yeager ("Rain Dance") and Brendon Taylor ("The Apothecant"). You'll also get two articles, one written by NYT bestselling author Anthony Ryan and the other by David Pomerico, Harper Voyager US's Executive Editor. Still not convinced to give it a try? We'll also be publishing an extended sample of Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N Holmberg's** latest novel ("Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet"). * Wall Street Journal, June 2016 ** Wall Street Journal, June 2015

    But what really lights their hearts are the memories of a special romance. In these compelling tales shared with you by NYT & USA Today best-selling authors you’ll be thrilled to the core when reading their passionate love stories - SEVEN times over. Each story shares with you - A Christmas She'll Remember. Loveable Christmas Angel by Mimi Barbour - Aloha! Sweet romance, lovable angel, and a prickly little boy’s Christmas wish! "a warm and touching story just right for the holiday season. Enjoy!"--Amazon Reviewer Crimson Holiday by Patricia Rosemoor - Will this be the Christmas of her daydreams or of her nightmares? "a great Christmas story that is laced with suspense and romance"--Amazon Reviewer Nobody's Cinderella by Joan Reeves - This Christmas Cinderella should be careful what she wishes for! "This was a fun story and I highly recommend it. I'm a real fan of Ms. Reeves writing."--Caroline Clemmons Two Hearts Find Christmas (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 5) by Tamara Ferguson - Will two lonely hearts find Christmas when love’s magic works its spell? "Wow. Just wow! How’s that for a review? Author Tamara Ferguson has done an absolutely wonderful job in creating characters that her readers will relate to, care about"—Tracy Slowiak for Readers’ Favorite The Christmas Sparkle Test by Alicia Street - Star-crossed sweethearts get a second chance, but will the magic of Christmas be enough to rekindle their love despite the secrets of the past? "“Warmed my heart and had me believing in the magic of Christmas again!”--Reader review One to Keep by Ev Bishop - Can love tempt them to commit? Maybe. If they’re brave enough . . . "This is the perfect cosy, fireside read for a winter's night--then you can enjoy it all over again next winter, because this book is 'one to keep'"--Amazon Reviewer Christmas Surprise - Santa's Boots Under Her Bed by Stephanie Queen - Sometimes a surprise can change your life. Margo & George are about to find out this Christmas how true that is... “A refreshing and fun romance story that swept my off my feet.”—I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read

    The only issue was, somewhere along the line, life caused her to forget how to pray. Raised by a mother that despised her after the death of her grandmother, Mia lost all faith in the God that her grandmother taught her so much about. Kain came along at the right time and saved Mia from her mother's wrath. But when her woman's intuition starts sounding alarms she begins to see Kain for who he really is. Mia knew she could never trust her mother, but when she has to pull her trust away from Kain the heartbreak is unbearable. Secrets are revealed, the drama unfolds, and the only way Mia will get through this is to remember what her grandmother taught her.

     Celebrate the season of love with EIGHT BRAND-NEW, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED STEAMY STORIES From Nine New York Times & USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors Ranging from fun and flirty to semi-sweet and suspenseful, this amorous collection of stories will not just hold you captive through Valentine’s Day; it’s romance you’ll find IRRESISTIBLE all year long. Two Hearts’ Reconnaissance: Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: Drawn to each other from the moment they met, Eve Loughlin and Harry Giordano are teenage survivors who’ve overcome the odds. When their careers split them apart, can they find their way back to their hearts? Cupid’s Quest: Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: Can Cupid’s arrow burst through the commitment wall that Ruby has built around her heart to let Josh sneak in? A Little Change of Plans: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Jake saw rookie firefighter Geri and it was love at first sight. All Night Long: Cynthia Cooke, USA Today bestselling author: A fake engagement, A Valentine’s Party, and a St. Bernard rescue on a snowy mountain, and suddenly dreams are coming true. Never Lovers: Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: Can a love that is torn in pieces ever be repaired? The Player: Jacquie Biggar, USA Today bestselling author: Sometimes, love happens when we least expect it… Unexpected Packages: Stacy Eaton, USA Today bestselling author: A birthday gift delivered to her home gives her more than she bargained for. First Class Flirtation: Susan Jean Ricci, USA Today bestselling author: A dispute between two strangers during a cross-country flight leads to a passionate infatuation - and the ultimate rescue. Serendipity Falls: Patrice Wilton, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Something mysterious is happening in this small mountain town. A wedding a month--Is there a love bug in their spring water, or is Cupid playing tricks?

    A simple touch sending currents of electricity flowing through a body. The feeling of coming home. Friends become lovers. Strangers become soulmates. The chemistry ignited when two people are falling in love is undeniable. Over the course of five short stories, follow these couples on journeys of passion and discover what happens when they decide to let sparks fly…

    Four stories. Each one set in the enchanting world of the South. These are the kinds of stories your grandmother told you from a front porch swing. Ice Melts in Spring by Linda W. Yezak When Kerry Graham's boss forces her to return to the Gulf of Mexico where her husband drowned years ago, she feels only spring's chill and not the warmth of the Texas sun. Can the joy of a reclusive author and the compassion of a shrimp-boat preacher thaw Kerry's frigid heart? Lillie Beth in Summer by Eva Marie Everson With the untimely death of his wife, Dr. James Gillespie believes God has abandoned him. He also believes he's never met anyone like the young widow Lillie Beth, whose beloved Granny lies dying at home, and who sees a God who sweeps hope through a farmhouse window. Can a young woman whose husband died in Vietnam restore a faith that is all but dead. Through an Autumn Window by Claire Fullerton Because her larger than life mother Daphne Goodwyn is dead, forty-year-old Cate returns to Memphis with one thought in mind: something always goes wrong at a Southern funeral. But surrounded by the well-mannered society that raised her, the nostalgic rites of a three-day, autumn mourning bring the unexpected gift of the end of sibling rivalry. A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan With Broadway stardom within her reach, Morgan James returns home in winter to help an old friend. Maybe it s just nostalgia, but when she sees him again, an old flame rekindles. When she s called back to NYC to take the lead in a new musical, will fame be worth losing the man she loves?

    Here are stories culled from hundreds of writing programs such as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer conferences such as Sewanee and Bread Loaf—as well as a complete list of contact information for these programs. This collection showcases tomorrow’s literary stars: Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, David Benioff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, Jennifer Vanderbes, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. The best new American voices are heard here first.

    Four Love Stories. Just One Summer. Four college girls, best friends since childhood, have found one constant in their ever-changing lives--summer. Every June the girls choose a destination to reconnect, only this summer is different. This year, each one must face life's challenges on her own, overcome fear and failure, and learn the beauty of falling in love for the first time. A Summer Remade by Nicole Deese Joss Sanders needs an escape, a reminder of a sweeter, simpler, and steadier time. Only her family's cabin isn't exactly how she remembered it as a child, and neither is the charming boy who lives next door. Change is everywhere. If Joss doesn't stop living in the past, she just might miss the promise in her future. Waves of Summer by Tammy L. Gray Sydney Andrews wants nothing more than to get away from a controlling ex-boyfriend, find some clarity and enjoy a drama-free vacation. But nothing in Sydney’s life is ever that easy. Especially when the sexy bartender she meets at her mother’s wedding wants more than just her friendship. He wants the girl she’s forgotten how to be. A Painted Summer by Amy Matayo Darby Sparks has lived a very sheltered life. A homeschool graduate, a small town resident, and the only child of two over-protective parents. But she's had enough. She wants to see the world and chase her dreams, and that's just what she does...until she runs out of money. With limited options, Darby finds herself working for dangerously hot Lennon Dixon, the owner of a downtown Los Angeles tattoo parlor. To call the job unfamiliar is the world's biggest understatement. And to call her attraction to Lennon unexpected is a very close second. Wild Heart Summer by Jenny B. Jones Twenty-one year old Avery Crawford has had to fight for everything in her life, and this summer is no exception. When her culinary internship in a chic restaurant falls through at the last minute, she gets an unexpected offer to work on a dude ranch in the quaint town of Sugar Creek. While Avery’s up to her apron in cattle drives, trail rides, and kitchen duty, the cute ranch manager Owen Jackson is determined to sweep her off her feet. Just as Avery finds herself unable to resist Owen’s Southern charm, her own family secrets begin to unravel, pushing her away from the ranch--and the love of one handsome cowboy.

    So she brings holiday joy to others: repairing her grandmother's nutcracker and commissioning a dollhouse for the girls at the orphanage. Yet one knock at the woodcarver's door unexpectedly brings Arley a gift of her own: love.A Blessed Season by Jillian HartAn abandoned girl asks bounty hunter Rafe Jones to track down her long-lost mother for Christmas. The holiday wish breaks through his hardened heart, and he easily finds Cora Sims in Montana Territory. She's definitely the woman Rafe has been looking for. But is she actually the girl's mother?

    

    Here she reveals how her ability to see and communicate with Spirit has helped her to pass on Spirit messages to thousands of people from around the world, sharing her understanding of what it’s really like in the Spirit world.Gaynor has answered questions about Spirit and the Afterlife in her usual honest and down to earth way.What happens when we die?Is there really such thing as life after death?Where is Heaven?Are our Spirit loved ones happy?Do we meet our pets in Heaven?Do angels exist?Is Heaven a real place?This book will give you the answers to these questions and many more, along with a guided view of life after death and a clearer understanding of the place some call Heaven.

    Journey through the deep south and follow the lives of several families as they intertwine throughout the decades in this collection of southern short stories.

     Contents: BOOK 1: Waves of Deception BOOK 2: Winds of Deception BOOK 3: Tides of Deception BOOK 1: Waves of Deception Samantha Rite is in desperate need of a vacation. Her life is shattered when after 21 years of marriage, her husband walks out on her, leaving her for another woman. As Sam is trying to pick up the pieces and start over, her family decides now would be the perfect time for her to take a relaxing vacation. Before she can change her mind, she and her older sister are booked on a week-long Caribbean cruise. Just days before the trip, her sister is involved in a horrible accident and is unable to go. Persuaded to take this trip alone, Sam finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly adventure of a lifetime. Will she make it out alive? BOOK 2: Winds of Deception Since returning home recently from her never-to-be-forgotten cruise vacation, Samantha Rite has been busy trying to catch up at work and settle back into her normal day-to-day routine. Little does she know her simple and quiet life is about to be thrown into turmoil as she has unknowingly become a pawn in a deadly game of deception. As she desperately struggles to make sense of it all, she soon realizes that someone she loves more than life itself is now in danger as well. Determined to do whatever is necessary to protect her loved ones, she vows to move heaven and earth to make sure they're safe! Will Sam be able to weather the storm that's brewing on the horizon? BOOK 3: Tides of Deception Samantha Rite is about to embark on a life-changing journey when she and her daughter decide to move 1200 miles away from all that she's ever known to be with Lee, the love of her life. Just hours before the big move, with the moving truck packed and ready to hit the road, Lee and his best friend Donovan mysteriously disappear. Determined to find them, Sam enlists the help of her sister, and begins the long, perilous move to Florida. Once again, Sam finds herself frantically racing against time to save the one she loves. She soon discovers, however, the search has put her own life and the lives of others in danger. With an ocean of obstacles ahead of her, will she be able to keep her head above water or will the tides of deception prove to be too much? Click the “buy now with 1 click” button at the top of the page OR Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

    Five years ago, Noel dedicated her life to Christ. It was the best decision she’d made in her life. However, August isn’t onboard with his wife’s newfound faith. Noel is at her wits end, trying to convince her husband about the way of the Lord. August is done with his wife pestering him about her faith. They are both hoping for a Christmas miracle – one of peace.

    No sign remains of any other structure around them, no ruins of long forgotten buildings. They look... wrong. They feel wrong. Bad things happen if you get too close. Horrible things.You must never, ever ever talk about them.Thirty-four of today's best up and coming writers provide wonderfully unique interpretations inspired by the urban legends of the Internet age. Tales range from science fiction to fantasy, horror to mystery, and one writer even penned a romance!But you must never tell anyone about the stairs!Containing the stories:* Nothing Ever Happens Here by Richard Paolinelli* Star Thistle by J. Comer* Let Him In by Josh Dygert* A New Trail Off Of Old King?s Highway by Michael Reyes* The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate by Kristen Brand* Exclusive Scoop by J. Trevor Robinson* The Flash-Back Stairs: A Story of Betrayal by Patrick T. Luce* The Peacock House by Matthew Pegg* Where The Wood Thrush Sings by NB Williams* The Refuge by Dawn Witzke* Upon The Stair by Daniel Humphreys* Grand Staircase to the Yellow Court by R.C. Mulhare* Another Dead Man?s Curve by Chris Ingram* Game Warden by Russell Newquist* Stepping Stones by Jarrett Mazza* Reap Dance by James G. Hancock* Descending Stairs, 1699 by Meghan Casey* Where Angels Fear to Tread by Michelle Mellon* Sobek's Staircase by Jeremy Megargee* The Curses We Carry by Russell Mahon* Stranger?s Wood by J.S. Arroyo* Stairway Back to Jonathan's Farm by Dan Allen* The Thirteenth Step by MJ Mars* Cajun Ray by S.D. McPhail* W/M by Isobel Horsburgh* The Sentinel by Richard W. Watts* Sleep, Child by A.G. Lopes* The Lost Ones by Karen Thrower* Ready For Seven More by Christopher Lansdown* Fire and Pine by Bethany C. Gotschall* Stairway to? Where? by William Lehman* The Dead Always by Darren Todd* Missing Persons by Jonathan Bronico* Cedar Road by Mocha Pennington