Before Chess Putnam was a magic-wielding Churchwitch, she was a student in the Church of Real Truth—with a keen sensitivity to magic, a strong rebellious streak, and a penchant for self-destruction. And in Finding Magic, a grisly ghost murder becomes Chess’s baptism of fire.   When eighteen-year-old Chess Putnam is offered the chance to train with a special team of investigators known as the Black Squad, she feels torn. She’s never been a team player and hates how one male Inquisitor condescends to “the new kid.” But at her first bloody crime scene, she gets a taste for investigation—and is hooked on the high. Though the seasoned Inquisitors consider the series of ghost murders random events, Chess starts to detect a pattern. Is a psycho killer summoning ghosts from the City of Eternity and using them as murder weapons? As Chess gets closer to the dark truth, she puts herself in grave danger and risks losing everything she’s fought so hard for.   Includes a special preview of Stacia Kane’s upcoming urban fantasy thriller, Chasing Magic!

    This short story tells the tale of that night, and sheds a little light on her masters’ motivations.

    It was formerly published in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.

    Two magics. One world.There’s nowhere in America like the Big Easy. Just ask Jane Yellowrock, shapeshifting vampire killer, whose hunting grounds run the length and breadth of the Bayou.Just ask Joanne Walker, whose shamanic magic has drawn her to the heart of American Weird.But it’s not Joanne’s world, and it isn’t Jane’s either. In a New Orleans where Katrina never hit and supposedly-dead vampires stalk the streets, Jane and Jo have to find and defeat the magic that brought them there–or they just might find themselves…EASY PICKINGSfan fiction by the authors themselves!

    The alternate cover edition can be found here.CONSTANT DANGEROn the run from a mental institution and her vindictive half-brother, it's safe to say that Sarah Pringle's happy life as a schoolteacher is on hold. Too bad that as far as self-defense goes, "run and hide" is the best she's got. And with the monsters that started her escape hot on her heels, that's not going to cut it for long...INSTANT LUSTThat is, unless Sarah has a bigger, badder, hotter monster on her side. Max Petrovsky is right at the top of the list of alpha male ass-kickers. And he knows exactly what Sarah's up against. Good thing, because the minute he sees her something primal kicks in, turning everyday attraction into red-hot desire. As long as they're cooperating, why not mix some pleasure with business? Of course, Max should probably tell Sarah he's a vampire himself...<27,000 words

    The scientist who created him, Hope's mother, has forced his hand. She wants her creation back, and she wants any children he may breed on her daughter.He is a man whose DNA was altered, infused with the genetic code of the wolf. His unique genetic makeup has created a male unlike any other and will make itself known in the most surprising ways. Now Hope must convince her mate she hasn't betrayed him, and they must defeat the plans of a scientist gone mad.

    Jones’s latest case involves a body found in the basement vault of a local bookstore, and scratchings on the inside of the door that seem to be a coded message, in this novella by Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of In Too Deep and the Arcane Society novels.

    He keeps to himself until a pesky female journalist arrives, anxious to interview him about his checkered past—his last assistant disappeared under mysterious and bloody circumstances, earning him the nickname “The Deadly Daggerman.”Unsinkable journalist and adventurer Jacinda Harville doesn’t take no for an answer, and she’s determined to wear down Marco no matter how threatening—or incredibly desirable—he might appear. He agrees to an interview—but only if she’ll let him strap her to a spinning table and throw knives at her body. How can she say no? And how can she resist him when he leans close for a kiss that strikes her more sharply than any blade? It’s the first time she’s let a man get the better of her, and she’s determined it will be the last…Just when she thinks she can’t take any more of his games, Jacinda receives a note from Marco saying he’s finally ready to tell her the truth about what happened to his missing assistant. She sets out for an address miles away, but what she finds there turns the tables on everything she thought she knew about the tender lover who wears a smile as sharp as his knives.As secrets are unraveled and passions take hold, Jacinda realizes her hard heart has melted. But will it be too late to save Marco—and herself—from the daggerman’s dangerous past?

    Discover the story behind Cajun cop Rick LaFleur’s cat tattoos — and the powerful witch who inked them. And, in the final, all-new story, find out what happened between Jane and Rick seconds after the end of Mercy Blade. Plus, get a never-before-seen index of vampire clans and alliances and a letter from the author about the origins of Jane Yellowrock. And don’t miss a special excerpt: the first three chapters from the newest Jane Yellowrock novel, Raven Cursed!

    Is that how it goes?No one should have to be on the run from their family. Family is who you can trust, right? Dark magic users are the ones on the don’t trust list. Yet, when Greta learns the werecat tribe plans to sacrifice her on the full moon to steal her potent magical blood, she ditches common sense in favor of running to the one man who can protect her. Will Dayne kill her as he has so many others of her kind, or is his grudge against her family strong enough to save her?CLAIMED:… Vampires claiming amnesiacs is the new black.Anthony is cold, ruthless, undead, and hard to like. Yet, all it takes is one human with amnesia, to soften his heart. Ever since being bitten, Charlotte hasn’t been the same. More than anything, he wants to return to a time when she saw him for the man he is, instead of the monster she’s discovered. A time before she feared him. In the midst of a power struggle for vampire king, it soon becomes clear that the only way to protect a fragile human in his care is to claim her as his mate. Meanwhile, his deepest wish is to have his lover awakened from the memory loss that took everything... not just the memories he meant to erase. MATED:A classic, sweet werewolf love story. Or maybe not.Be small. Be invisible. It’s an odd life mantra for a human woman in a world of monsters. But Jane’s blood contains a touch of vampire magic, making her their victim over and over. With her faster-than-normal healing time, she’s an ideal punching bag for the abusive vampire she’s been living with, the one she thought might protect her this time. Paul owes a debt to the werewolf alpha, and Cole doesn’t care how he gets paid: flesh or coin. $10,000 or Jane? The human is a small price for the vampire to pay to be debt-free.Cole is attractive and warm---so different from the coldness and death Jane has grown used to. If the werewolves didn’t have a worse reputation than the vampires, being taken by the alpha might feel like rescue, but Cole’s growing possessive nature, makes Jane fear he’ll only abuse her like the others. If he doesn’t, could becoming an alpha’s mate free her from the vampires for good?

    They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…Barbara Yager loves being one of the most powerful witches in the world, but sometimes she’d rather kick back in her enchanted Airstream with a beer in her hand than work out how to grant the requests of the worthy few who seek her out.But when a man appears with the token of a family debt of honor, Barbara must drop everything to satisfy the promise owed by her predecessor—and she isn’t above being a little wicked to make sure the debt is paid in full…

    . . the ties that bind. Friendship, duty, blood. TREACHERY . . . when friendship is abused, duty turns to burden, and blood is not enough. UNFORGIVEN . . . because there are some things that can never be forgotten. Allegiance . . . Treachery . . . Unforgiven.War is imminent, and a spy has infiltrated Raphael’s estate. But his target is not Raphael; it’s his sister, Alexandra, whose earlier duplicity nearly cost Cyn her life. Raphael and Cyn are determined to play the spy’s game, traveling to Mexico to discover who their enemy is and just how far he’ll go to win. But once Raphael finds his sister, can he take the chance that she won’t betray him again?

    Angels’ Judgment: Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of nonlethal vampire trackers, one that intends to eradicate the entire species of bloodsuckers. Magic Mourns: Find out why the giant, three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world—and whose scent he’s following. Blind Spot: Join a vampire’s butler in the perilous search for her employer’s niece, aided by a blind—and damn sexy—companion and a hellhound. Today’s hottest paranormal authors deliver four all-new adventures starring man’s worst friend…

    Shadow Days, told from Shay's perspective, chronicles the days before the start of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade, when Shay is taken away from the friends he loves and forced to live in his uncle Bosqu Mar's mansion, where the gargoyles seem to move, magic seems real, and nothing is as it should be.

    It should be read after "A Family Affair".* Contains spoilers for the first four Cassandra Palmer books.