It’s me, Darcy Valentine. I’m still enjoying a fabulous, never-ending first date with my sexy vampire boyfriend Storm. Can you believe we’re celebrating a year together? Yep, we go together like toast and jam. He’s still helping me with the B&B I run inside the warded walls of the quirky, ancestral castle I call home with the rest of the special family my mama and I built with the motley group of weirdos who live here with us.Lordy, do I ever have a crazy tale for you this time. I’m a huge fan of not just Storm but so many other authors. Imagine my thrill when Storm gets the invite to appear at a reader con right here in Austin. You only know I have to go with him, right? It’s the perfect way to celebrate things getting back to normal, our first anniversary, and… did I mention there’d be book signings?Just one thing… Nobody told me these conventions can be deadly. Life-changing, in fact. Remember how I said I’m a huge fanboy? Y’all… I ain’t got nothin’ on the Storm Chasers. Who are they, you ask? Ha! Have a seat. This one might take a few to tell.This 24k novella is the fifth and final book in the Magical Mischief at the B&B series. This book does not contain mpreg, and if you’re looking for serious literature, this ain't it. But if you want to laugh so hard you’ll wake the neighbors, this should get you there. There might be a few tears this time, but it’s mostly full of all the fluffy, happy feels you’d expect from a Susi Hawke book. It could also be a choking hazard due to a ridiculous amount of awful jokes, so maybe don’t eat or drink while reading, okay?

    Outcast and exiled, the rain priestess Revida rescues a man and his children as they flee from the wrath of a creator god known as the Bitter Dark. But Atagartis is more than a man, and Revida soon discovers the lover she's known only in dreams has a purpose for her and the tearless grief she's born for more than two decades.

    Magical spells aside, she’s snarky and selfish, and the other witches in her silent spell coven are fed up with her. Their plan to reform Tessa involves taking away her magic, saddling her with one hundred extra pounds and sending her to a weight loss spa. For good measure they call in Liam Kennedy, a charming and sexy fairy godfather, to teach her some manners. Desperate to regain her magic and determined to shed the weight, Tessa soon realizes that protecting her heart from Liam will prove to be her greatest challenge.

    What is his real mission and will his Aunt Archangelica approve of his treatment of her cat?In this short story, New York Times Bestselling Author Gail Carriger uses her comedic voice to delve into the history of one of her most beloved characters. If you have ever wondered about Alexia's father, this will give you a glimpse into his adventures and character.This story was first published in The Book of the Dead, a Jurassic London anthology.

    She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget. It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.

    Bitter. Vengeful. For centuries now, he's taken lives for profit and drained blood for free. Just like always. But then he's gifted what every immortal craves: his mate. He just can't believe his eyes when he finally hunts her down. HIS MATEJolie Pritchard's young. Studious. Driven. Studying Medieval Literature is her life and this scholarship - her dream. She's the last thing an arrogant, gorgeous, world-class playboy should be pursuing and she knows it. If only he wasn't the most thrilling male she's ever imagined...THE CURSEShe was warned. She didn't listen.

    R. Ward's third New York Times bestselling novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Awakened.As a former blood slave, Zsadist bore the scars from a past filled with suffering and degradation until Bella came along and helped heal his emotional wounds. Now, though, with the birth of their child, the demons of his past have been resurrected, called forth by the innocent eyes of his beloved daughter, Nalla. Unless Bella and Nalla can bring him back with their love, he may be lost to them forever.

    Then the dark and mysterious Merc walks into her life, and it takes a disastrous turn for the worse.Now under attack by enemies both known and unknown, Piper has little choice but to flee her refuge—and start over in a place few vampires ever go. Rural Alaska seemed to fit the bill, except for Knox and his crew of werewolves. The pack shares a connection with Piper that few of them can explain, and none of them can escape. With time running out for answers, Piper must fight the demons of her past to ensure her future—or die trying.

    Pirates. The Peanut. What could possibly go wrong?Dragos Cuelebre needs a vacation. So does Pia, his mate. When the First Family of the Wyr head to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it's no ordinary undertaking - and no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between hunting for ancient treasure buried beneath the waves and keeping track of their son, Liam—a.k.a. Peanut, whose Wyr abilities are manifesting far ahead of schedule—it’s a miracle that Pia and Dragos can get any time together.They're determined to make the most of each moment, no matter who tries to get in their way.And did we mention pirates?For fans of DRAGON BOUND and LORD’S FALL, passion, playfulness, and adventure abound in this Elder Races novella.

    Now if only she weren't so distracted by the sexy vampire fighting by her side . . .A Forever Love by Pamela PalmerTrapped in Vamp City, Lukas has been unable to return to the beauty who stole his heart. But now that she's stumbled into his world, it will take every ounce of cunning he possesses to keep her alive.First Dates Are Hell by Amanda AristaValiance's first date in a hundred years is going great . . . until they're attacked in the parking lot and quiet, unassuming Esme turns out to be way more than she appears.Blood and Water by Kim FalconerBeneath the waves of San Francisco Bay lives a vampire race that wants nothing to do with the "landers" except to feed on them. But when Stellan sets eyes on Angelina, everything changes.

    It focuses on Dmitri & Honor, so there are no spoilers for the Archangel’s Shadows storyline (however, if you haven’t yet read Archangel’s Blade (Honor and Dmitri’s story), then save this to read later). I hope you enjoy!

    Felicia Patterson has come to terms with the fact that she’ll never get to be with her one true love… whoever he happens to be. But when the sexiest vampire she’s ever seen walks onto Witch Island, she can’t help her fluttering heart. He’s a vampire who’s been burned before, destined to never love again. Christoph Parks has sworn off relationships. In the century that he’s walked the earth, he’s only known heartbreak and disappointment. But one smile from the island’s sassy florist has his icy heart melting. And now that the pair have been thrown together to save their loved ones’ wedding from imploding, can they also overcome a brutal curse, find a way to trust, and finally get the love that they deserve?

    Owen Grayson is still wracked with guilt over the end of his love affair with Gin Blanco, and there aren’t enough gin and tonics in all of Ashland to ease his heartache. But when Gin happens to show up at the same nightclub, he isn’t the only one hoping to get her alone. Some shadowy figures will do anything to take down the Spider, Gin’s assassin alter ego, and Owen will do anything to protect her. This could be the way to win her back, or at least give her a night off from fighting for her life—if Owen can survive...

    He’ll show up again in the series, but what about in the meantime? What does a powerful, four-hundred-year-old vampire with a serious grudge against his old mass murdering master to do when he suddenly finds himself with too much time on his hands? Hang around Faerie, where there’s nothing to eat (Fey blood=nasty) just because our intrepid heroine parked him there?Uh, no. Not so much. Because Tomas is obsessed, and has been for pretty much his whole existence, with one thing: taking out Alejandro, the aforementioned murdering bastard. In “The Day of the Dead,” he slips back into our world to confront his nemesis, only to find unexpected help in the form of a band of magical mercenaries. Think the A-Team with spells and potions instead of (well, actually in addition to) guns and knives and things that go boom. It makes for a lot of mayhem down Mexico way.NOTE: “The Day of the Dead” is a short story connected to the New York Times bestselling Cassandra Palmer series of urban fantasy novels. It was first published in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (2008) and is now being offered as a free ebook. It features Tomas, a character from Touch the Dark (2006), the first Cassandra Palmer novel.

    At least that’s the plan. First, they have to convince Warlord Tarrick that Krampus is not only real, but the reason incubi children have gone missing… Note: This novella is told from the point of view of Jet, a gargoyle who sometimes takes the form of a Rottweiler. This is not a standalone story. It is meant to be read after Broken: Beautiful Monsters Vol. 3. 25k words