If it weren’t for my business partner hiring her to redecorate our new office, our paths would never cross.But she’s here now and we’re forced to work together. I just need to get through the next couple of weeks without losing my mind…or my heart.EXCERPT:“Honestly, I don’t think we need much,” I started, trying to assert myself again. “Maybe some wall art or something? Nothing too flashy.”Her tinkling laughter stopped short when she realized I was being serious. “Oh tasty gravy, no. This place needs an overhaul. I can see why your business partner wanted a professional.”An overhaul? “What do you mean?”“Well, this place feels like a tomb. A cement box where dreams go to die,” she answered with another of those smiles. “Probably not the message you want to send to potential clients, right?”I stared, incredulous, sputtering a little as I said, “I hardly think that’s how people feel when they walk into our office.”“It’s how I felt when I walked in,” Kitt admitted, gesturing to the gray walls and steel furnishings. “There’s nothing inviting about a giant, gray blob of space. I mean, prisons are giant gray blobs. Let that sink in for a minute and you’ll get where I’m coming from. But don’t worry, I can fix that for you.” She tapped her head. “I’ve already got some ideas percolating.”I couldn't help but bristle a little. "Well we're not trying to impress the Queen of England. We work with blue-collar people and they don't much care about the froufrou stuff. They just want to know that we can do the job for them so that they can do theirs."“Yeah, I get that but first impressions are everything and this place is depressing.” Something oldSomething newWill you say “I do”? Fourteen best-selling Flirt Club authors are headed down the aisle with a new collection of steamy, sweet stories!

    But when true crime writer Eva Lah - a gung-ho investigative journalist and once the love of his life - comes seeking his help on a case, he can’t say no.Young people are disappearing in the small, picturesque country of Slovenia. But no one is paying attention. Except Eva. And she needs Mark’s help unravelling this chilling mystery she uncovered.A serial killer might be on the loose, and it’s the last thing either of them want to face again. But the missing need a voice to speak for them. Can Mark and Eva find enough common ground to be that voice?Pretty Places is a standalone mystery, thriller and suspense novel that kicks off a gripping new private investigator mystery suspense series featuring Mark and Eva, the couple who caught The Fairytale Killer. A must read for fans of deep, intriguing puzzle mystery novels and whodunits that delve deep into the psyche and the whys. You don’t want to miss this one!

    They built it outside the Suffolk town so it would not infect the healthy with its horrors. But the town itself is long gone, washed away by the North Sea. Only the Leper House remains, a shelter for the unwanted. A bereaved man strays there on a stormy night when the bell tolls once again beneath the waves. In a nearby house, a woman waits for history to repeat itself. When time isn’t what it seems, nor is love and nor are ghosts. And nor are we. The Leper House is a 19,000-word novella, written for Kindle Singles and available here for the first time. Andrew Taylor is a British crime and historical novelist whose books include the international bestseller, The American Boy (a Richard-and-Judy selection), and the Roth Trilogy (filmed for TV as Fallen Angel). Among his many awards are the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Excellence in crime writing. His latest novel is The Scent of Death, winner of the 2013 Historical Dagger.

    Craven. A psychopath takes Trick or Treating a step too far. And a woman's dream of a quiet life is shattered by a knock on the door.Afraid Of The Shadows is a collection of gripping- sometimes funny, always spooky- short stories from some of the biggest names in crime fiction.From possessed sweaters to creepy wardrobes and disco shape shifters, there’s something for everyone in this Halloween bucket of short story goodies making it the perfect companion to snuggle up with as the nights draw in. Though be warned, you might want to leave the lights on...****************************************************************CONTRIBUTORSAfraid Of The Shadows is brought to you by twenty bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger Award, Gold Dagger Award and New Blood Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, the UK National Book Awards and the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award.Special guests:M.W. CravenPeter JamesT.M. LoganMatt WesolowskiTrevor WoodRachael BlokElle Croft (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Heather CritchlowJames Delargy (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Clare EmpsonJo FurnissT.E. KinseyN.J. MackayS.R. MastersPhoebe MorganDominic Nolan (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Robert Scragg (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Victoria Selman (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Kate SimantsAdam Southward (Longlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)****************************************************************Profits from the sale of Afraid Of The Shadows will be donated to the Barnardo's Children in Crisis Covid AppealThis delivers practical and emotional support to vulnerable children caught in a downward spiral of deprivation as a result of the coronavirus crisis.Children and families across the UK are increasingly in or on the brink of poverty as a result of coronavirus.The impact of the second wave is pushing a generation of the most vulnerable children into a downward spiral of deprivation. With your support Barnardo’s can deliver the practical and emotional support families in crisis need.

    . . ? Find them all here in Holly Black’s amazing first collection.In her debut collection, New York Times best-selling author Holly Black returns to the world of Tithe in two darkly exquisite new tales. Then Black takes readers on a tour of a faerie market and introduces a girl poisonous to the touch and another who challenges the devil to a competitive eating match. Some of these stories have been published in anthologies such as 21 Proms, The Faery Reel, and The Restless Dead, and many have been reprinted in many “Best of ” anthologies.The Poison Eaters is Holly Black’s much-anticipated first collection, and her ability to stare into the void—and to find humanity and humor there—will speak to young adult and adult readers alike.A Junior Library Guild Pick. Illustrated by Theo Black.Holly Black is the author of Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale (an ALA Best Book for Young Adults) and two related novels, Valiant (Norton Award winner) and New York Times bestseller Ironside. Her latest novel, Black Heart is the third of a new series, The Curseworkers. She and Tony DiTerlizzi created the best-selling Spiderwick Chronicles. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

    By the time you reach the end you'll be begging for more! This is one series you do NOT want to miss! Book 1 - The Bear's Matchmaker Book 2 - Her True Alpha Mate Book 3 - Her Alpha Mismatch Book 4 - Her Enchanted Alpha Match Book 1: Some women might like to have three handsome, powerful bear shifters vying for their attention, but Ophelia (Lia) Caldwell is not one of them. For one thing, she knows that the alpha bears only seek her out to steal her sealskin and the control of the coastal land around Monterey that goes with it. It sucks to be a selkie. Lia is seriously considering retreating to the ocean and trying to reconnect with the pod she lost as a child, but her adoptive sister Nessa, who moonlights as a matchmaker for shifters convinces her to try hooking up with a guy who might be able to protect her from the alpha bears. But what kind of protection with Miles be? He’s a playboy who can’t stay focused on one woman for more than a day or two. Even worse, he’s another bear. Lia wants to tell Nessa to forget about it. This match is a terrible idea. But Miles sees her in a way the other bears don’t, and Lia’s oddly attracted to him despite his faults. Will giving him a chance be the worst mistake she’s ever made? Or will it be her salvation? Book 2: Ever since her Alpha helped her tame her panther and explore her creativity, Monica has been sure her destiny lies with him. He doesn’t notice her, though, and when she tries to trick the shifter matchmaker, Nessa, into setting them up, Monica finds herself with a different alpha entirely. Nikolai’s pack is on the verge of revolt after his failed attempt to steal a selkie skin, and he’s beginning to doubt his own fitness as a leader. The last thing he needs is the distraction of a sexy shifter from another pack. But Monica makes him laugh and bolsters his confidence. He can’t keep his mind—or his hands—off her. Monica can’t keep her hands off Nikolai either. But what about her plans for the future? Could Nikolai be her true Alpha match? Book 3: Like many fox shifters, Regina Woodward is stuck in the fifties. She loves vintage clothing and classic movies. What she doesn’t love is controlling male foxes who expect perfect homemaker wives. She’s just about given up on ever finding a mate when her friend Nessa, the local matchmaker, suggests she date Oscar Torres. An alpha bear. Regina’s mother would have a conniption just hearing about it. Not that Regina’s sure she wants to hook up with Oscar anyway, seeing how he’s closed-off emotionally. But when he asks for her help to save a wild fox-shifter who has been getting into trouble up north, Regina can’t refuse. And the more time she spends with Oscar, the more she loses her heart. To an emotionally constipated bear her only remaining family is going to hate. There’s no way this ends well—is there? Book 4: Nessa Caldwell has a gift for pairing shifters with their fated mates. Except when that shifter happens to be herself. But though her gift doesn’t work reflexively, she’s sure it’s a bad idea to date Caz Frost, even if her friends think she should try it.

    A number of wonderful fantasy novels, including Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and The Prestige by Christopher Priest, owe their inspiration to works by nineteenth-century writers ranging from Jane Austen, the Brontës, and George Meredith to Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and William Morris. And, of course, the entire steampunk genre and subculture owes more than a little to literature inspired by this period.Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells is an anthology for everyone who loves these works of neo-Victorian fiction, and wishes to explore the wide variety of ways that modern fantasists are using nineteenth-century settings, characters, and themes. These approaches stretch from steampunk fiction to the Austen-and-Trollope inspired works that some critics call Fantasy of Manners, all of which fit under the larger umbrella of Gaslamp Fantasy. The result is eighteen stories by experts from the fantasy, horror, mainstream, and young adult fields, including both bestselling writers and exciting new talents such as Elizabeth Bear, James Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Ellen Kushner, Tanith Lee, Gregory Maguire, Delia Sherman, and Catherynne M. Valente, who present a bewitching vision of a nineteenth century invested (or cursed!) with magic.The Line-up:“Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells” by Delia Sherman“The Fairy Enterprise” by Jeffrey Ford“From the Catalogue of the Pavilion of the Uncanny and Marvelous, Scheduled for Premiere at the Great Exhibition (Before the Fire)” by Genevieve Valentine“The Memory Book” by Maureen McHugh“La Reine D’Enfer” by Kathe Koja“Briar Rose” by Elizabeth Wein“The Governess” by Elizabeth Bear“Smithfield” by James P. Blaylock“The Unwanted Women of Surrey” by Kaaron Warren“Charged” by Leanna Renee Hieber“Mr. Splitfoot” by Dale Bailey“Phosphorus” by Veronica Schanoes“We Without Us Were Shadows” by Catherynne M. Valente“The Vital Importance of the Superficial” by Ellen Kushner and Caroline Stevermer“The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown” by Jane Yolen“A Few Twigs He Left Behind” by Gregory Maguire“Their Monstrous Minds” by Tanith Lee“Estella Saves the Village” by Theodora Goss

    Librarians guide us to enlightenment as well as serving as the captains, mages, and gatekeepers who open the doors to delight, speculation, wonder, and terror. Both inspire writers of speculative fiction to pen wonderful tales woven around them. This captivating compilation of science fiction and fantasy short fiction showcases stories of librarians-mysterious curators, heroic bibliognosts, arcane archivists, catalogers of very special collections-and libraries-repositories of arcane wisdom, storehouses of signals from other galaxies, bastions of culture, the last outposts of civilization in a post-apocalyptic world . . . grand adventures and small sagas of the magical places we call libraries and the wizards who staff them!

    They are the building blocks of our lives. They are our memories. They are how we come to know our history. They are our escapism and entertainment. Some fact, some fiction, and some are a clever little mix. These stories… these stories are fiction. Short and scary. Delivered to you in small, terrifying bursts, much the way you'd experience each individual room in a haunted house attraction. They were specifically written to be enjoyed by both the not-too-young and old alike. Inside, you'll see some names you know and some names you don't. You'll find horror, drama, and even a few laughs... and zombies. Zombies by the ton. Gnawing, gnashing, stumbling, and staring... Right. At. You. Waiting... for a bite-sized offering. Enjoy!

    My stepdad was always a drunk – but he never tried to hurt me.Until last night.Now I have to run.I find a safe place to hide out for just one night…Trouble is, this cabin isn’t as abandoned as I thought.The owner – a man who’s big and thick in ways that make me feel safe – won’t like that I’ve broke into his home.I have to leave before he sees me… even though what I really want is to climb into his sturdy lap and ask him to protect me.Ask him to take real good care of me.The moment I start to run… I slip and fall.And my whole world goes dark.I can’t remember anything.But I hope he is the one to save me…

    The stories range from fantasy and fairy tale to horror and stark reality, and yet what pervades is the sense of humanity. The people of Lanagan's worlds face trials, temptations, and degradations. They swoon and suffer and even kill for love. In a dangerous world, they seek the solace and strength that comes from family and belonging. These are stories to be savored slowly and pondered deeply because they cut to the very heart of who we are

    When originally published in 1985 by Harry Morris’s Silver Scarab Press, the book was hardly noticed. In 1989, an expanded version appeared that garnered accolades from several quarters. Writing in the Washington Post, the celebrated science fiction and fantasy author Michael Swanwick extolled: “Put this volume on the shelf right between H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Where it belongs.”The revisions in the present volume of Songs of a Dead Dreamer have been calculated to make its stories into enhanced incarnations of the originals. This edition is and will remain definitive.For those already familiar with the stories in Songs of a Dead Dreamer, an invitation is extended to return to them in their ultimate state. For those new to the collection, it is submitted to engage them with some of the most extraordinary tales of their kind. In either case, this publication of Songs of a Dead Dreamer offers evidence for why Ligotti has been judged to be among the most important authors in the history of supernatural horror.

     She’s been kicked out of her apartment in Queens by her alcoholic boyfriend and has no other friends in the city. A co-worker tells her about a house on Staten Island where she can live in rent-free, but Lisa comes to realize the price that comes with living in an abandoned house. Abandoned: A Ghost Story is a novelette of 14,500 words.

    Kennedy has put together some of the horror worlds best selling horror anthologies. Now, for the first time, he has collected together some of his own short stories in the one place. Features a brand new, eight thousand work, tribute story to Richard Laymon's Dark Mountain.

    What horrific events happened to create the earthbound-people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? A strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell... Welcome to Junji Ito's world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares.