But when a charming stranger arrives at their door, they learn that sometimes the living can be more monstrous than the undead. Note: this 7,000 word short story was originally published in the anthology Enthralled edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

    If I can survive my first trial as a witch, I can stay alive.The problem is, I'm not even sure I am a witch. Luckily, I'm surrounded by hot guys with magical powers who might be able to help me figure it out.When a very late 18th birthday present shows up on my doorstep, I have no idea that it's going to change my life forever. The gift, from my grandmother, grants me four years of paid tuition at Ironwood Academy, in a town called Love's Hollow, New York.I've never heard of the school or the town, but I have nowhere else to go, and I'm determined to take what's mine. It turns out this place is full of non-human creatures. I really don't think I fit in here, and Headmaster Thorn seems to agree. He wants me gone. He may even want me dead.I'm going to have to prove to him that I belong at a school for magic. Good thing the student body is made up of strong, handsome guys who all have special powers. From the alpha werewolf to the witch who can make you kill yourself with one look, they're all so dangerous they should be forbidden.But I think I can use them to my advantage. Because my grandmother left me with one more present: a necklace with special powers. I'm beginning to wonder what will activate the spell, though.As Halloween approaches, my time is running out to learn the secrets that will help me pass the test, and the guys all seem enamored with me. I can feel my power increasing each time one flirts with me.Maybe losing my virginity is the key to my survival.And I'll gladly give it away.But I need to choose wisely about who takes it.Halloween Trial is a new adult urban fantasy paranormal academy romance with mature content featuring university-age characters and is for readers age 18 and up. You'll find a feisty heroine, hot guys with magical powers and plenty of steam!

    Sixteen-year-old Rosa lives in one of the eight enclosed cities of The Woodlands. Where the lone survivors of a devastating race war have settled in the Russian wilderness because it’s the only scrap of land left habitable on the planet. In these circular cities, everyone must abide by the law or face harsh punishment. Rosa's inability to conform and obey the rules brands her a leper and no one wants to be within two feet of her, until she meets Joseph. He's blonde, fair-skinned, green-eyed, and the laid-back complete opposite of Rosa. She's never met anyone quite like him, and she knows that spells danger. But differences weren't always a bad thing. People used to think being unique was one of the most treasured of traits to have. Now, the Superiors, who ruthlessly control the concrete cities with an iron fist, are obsessed with creating a 'raceless' race. They are convinced this is the only way to avoid another war. Any anomalies must be destroyed. The Superiors are unstoppable and can do anything they want. After all, they are considered superheroes by the general public. But not everyone sees them this way. When they continue to abuse their power by collecting young girls for use in their secret, high-tech breeding program, they have no idea that one of those girls has somehow managed to make friends even she didn't know she had. And one man will stop at nothing to save her.

    And witches! (Or militant vegans.) And worst of all, her friends, all of whom remember a life-changing story very differently. Unfortunately, when you live in a mansion with vampires, at least one ghost, the only zombies in the world, and the occasional human, it can be hard for everyone to end up on the same page. But Betsy is determined to clear up the mystery, and she's not letting anyone hijack her narrative. Really. She'll pull it off. Everyone will have to admit she's right. Yep. (Really!)

    On the run from her ex-boyfriend, Tris Abbott finds herself at Gem Creek Campground. A place that unexplainably feels like home, but holds secrets. It’s here Tris’s world flips upside down when she learns shifters are real and she’s chosen to save them.Before she can come to terms with the supernatural world she’s been introduced to, her past catches up.Face-to-face with her ex again, Tris must decide between fight and flight. Round two will be different though, because this time she knows what her ex is—a shifter.

    He is a royal Fae, immortal and endowed with more than eye candy looks. He is a being with immeasurable powers but life for him lacked something—so he looked around, and found... humans.Watching their lives and interactions, from another dimension filled him with feelings he had thought long lost in the ennui of immortality. The more he watched--the more addicted to their antics he became. An affection for the human race grew inside the heart Fae are not supposed to have, and it was inevitable that he began to have preferences with regards to them.In 1314, when Scotland’s rule was in jeopardy and the British were about to take more than they should, he chose a side--and then he saw her, and nothing would ever be the same for the prince ever again…

    Dragons, trolls, centaurs, and other monsters fill the world. The word comes from the council that everyone must leave and journey to rescue their leader, Janan, who has been abducted by a mysterious new enemy in the north. Faced with overwhelming threats that bring death and destruction, Sam and the others reach the northern Range and, reunited with Janan, are given an unimaginable opportunity. Although it would give them the privilege to live and learn and love without fear, the choice is not without its own dire consequences. And lives—though not theirs—are sure to be lost. Just how much are they willing to give up to save themselves?

    She fled the safety of her pack after the death of her father – except the pack was no longer safe for her. She wanted to make a new life on her own although lone wolves never survived long when away from the pack. Life was going to be a big challenge but when she finally landed a job and met her true mate, the real challenge was to begin. Would she be able to spend her life with her true mate or would an Alpha challenge set her future down a road she never wanted to take.

    The Oasis, their haven beneath the city of Chicago, has become infected with a fatal fever that is wiping out the last remaining species of Nightwalkers. The dream of a future is crumbling. Someone must find the Drayada Stone and bring it back to restore life to the dying underground community. It is a perilous journey, and those who take it will be forced to go where no Nightwalker has been in ages: Topside. The Underground Council appoints this task to a young witch, Zora, who will be accompanied by three unlikely companions she has grown up with in The Oasis. An angel, a vampire, and a werewolf. There is an ancient evil that stands between the Drayada Stone and the four companions. Zora must look deep within herself to find the power to destroy the biggest enemy of the Nightwalkers, and in so doing, she might just destroy herself. Will four young Nightwalkers be enough to save a dying species, or will they be buried beneath the rock and rubble of history and forgotten by humanity?

    A love triangle. Can Maxine crack the case before her heart is ripped in two? Maxine Brodeur has spent the past year recovering from a devastating breakup with Prince Arthur -- the realm’s future king. She’s kept a low profile as a half-human/half-demon, spending her days running “Doomed Cases,” a private supernatural agency. After illegally revealing her powers to save a human girl from attack, she gets an ominous letter bearing the royal seal. Rather than being punished, Maxine is hired to find the young, kidnapped Prince George. Back in the secretive life of the royals, she must learn to work alongside sexy detective Zachary Quinton. Her new partner has no respect for the rules, and her ex-lover Arthur is doing everything he can to win her back. Will Maxine find the missing prince quickly or will she cause another royal scandal in the process? Doomed Cases Box Set includes: Hush Hush ( (Doomed Cases Book 0) Prequel Demonic Triangle (Doomed Cases Book 1) Diabolical Quest (Doomed Cases Book 2) Infernal Initiation (Doomed Cases Book 3) Satanic Fortitude (Doomed Cases Book 4)

    Sit back as your favorite authors of zombie lit take you on a wild, horrifying ride that will leave you breathless! Come and meet the women who love to entertain you with their own unique versions of the zombie apocalypse.Featuring:Tamara Rose BlodgettV. BookeChantal BoudreauLaura BretzTonia BrownCatt DahmanMia DarienCM DoportoJacqueline DrugaDana FredstiBelinda FrischApril GreyMichelle KilmerRebecca HansenLori R. LopezSuzi MShannon MayerTara MayaLyra McKenCynthia MeltonKristen MiddletonChrissy PeeblesJeannie RaeSuzanne RobbJulianne SnowRebecca SnowAnna TaborskaAlly ThomasChristine VerstraeteAR VonAnnie Walls (Blackballing the Dead)Jen Wilde

     They save lives. They demand secrecy. They take no prisoners. Or do they? Stryker is one of that elite bodyguard cadre. She’s the target of organized criminals, the daughter of a gambling man. Fate brought them together. Will death separate them?

    (Approximately 7,000 words)Reliving the night before Jonathan and Franklin leave for Basic Training.You do not need to read "Down the Rabbit Hole" before enjoying "River's Recruit."

    When a fiery explosion destroys the Alchemica, the premier alchemy institute in the United States, she’s left with nothing. No home, no colleagues, and no memory. Learning what happened seems impossible, but she still has one strength, and in her opinion, it’s the only one she needs. She hasn’t forgotten a thing about alchemy.Addie brews a potion to restore her lost past, but remembers only the flames of the Alchemica’s destruction—and a man among the ashes. A man with the elemental power of fire, who just happens to be the leader of the magical community. He might know what happened, but getting him to tell her will require some…creativity. The magical aren’t fond of alchemists. Some say it borders on hatred, but Addie isn’t one to back down from a challenge, even if that challenge happens to be a man who can turn her to ash with a thought.

    It is a lesson Nisha learns all too soon - one that puts her on a journey with a dangerously sexy, enigmatic man who will force her to confront the nightmares of her past, and risk her heart for a future she never dreamed could be hers....(Originally published in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2; Constable & Robinson, 2010.)