But it,s totally worth it.In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers—Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier (Magic or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (Blue is for Nightmares)—love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all.From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.

    Kara is pulled into the supernatural, where monkeys drive the elevators, oracles scurry above giant crystal balls, and where demons feed on the souls of mortals. With the help of her Petty Officer and friend, David, Kara hurtles towards an adventure that will change her life forever…

    . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in Aloft.On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. Rain explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world.In Loaded, a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning.

    Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

    Moreau to Dr. Doom, readers have long been fascinated by insane plans for world domination and the madmen who devise them. Typically, we see these villains through the eyes of good guys. This anthology, however, explores the world of mad scientists and evil geniuses—from their own wonderfully twisted point of view. An all-star roster of bestselling authors—including Diana Gabaldon, Daniel Wilson, Austin Grossman, Naomi Novik, and Seanan McGuire ... twenty-two great storytellers, all told—have produced a fabulous assortment of stories, guaranteed to provide readers with hour after hour of high-octane entertainment born of the most megalomaniacal mayhem imaginable. Everybody loves villains. They’re bad; they always stir the pot; they’re much more fun than the good guys, even if we want to see the good guys win. Their fiendish schemes, maniacal laughter, and limitless ambition are legendary, but what lies behind those crazy eyes and wicked grins? How—and why—do they commit these nefarious deeds? And why are they so set on taking over the world? If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in luck: It’s finally time for the madmen’s side of the story.Between each chapter falls a single-page essay by the editor, by way of introduction to the story ahead; they have titles of their own, but all contain spoilers, so are not listed here (they can be found on the Internet Science Fiction Database if desired). All individual works in this anthology are in short story form, with the exception of Diana Gabaldon's 80-page Outlander novella, and unless otherwise noted, were first published within. CONTENTS Foreword - Chris Claremont, The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius (p9)01 - Austin Grossman, Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List (p16)02 - Harry Turtledove, Father of the Groom (p28)03 - Seanan McGuire, Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD) (p38)04 - David D. Levine, Letter to the Editor (p52)05 - Jeremiah Tolbert, Instead of a Loving Heart (2004, p59)06 - Daniel H. Wilson, The Executor (p68)07 - Heather Lindsley, The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan (p83)08 - Dave Wolverton (as David Farland), Homo Perfectus (p96)09 - L.A. Banks, Ancient Equations (p108)10 - Alan Dean Foster, Rural Singularity (p123)11 - Genevieve Valentine, Captain Justice Saves the Day (p133)12 - Theodora Goss, The Mad Scientist's Daughter (2010, p142)13 - Diana Gabaldon, The Space Between (2012 Outlander novella, p161)14 - Carrie Vaughn, Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution (p245)15 - Laird Barron, Blood and Stardust (p261)16 - L.E. Modesitt Jr., A More Perfect Union (p276)17 - Naomi Novik, Rocks Fall (p289)18 - Mary Robinette Kowal, We Interrupt This Broadcast (Lady Astronaut short story, p298)19 - Marjorie M. Liu, The Last Dignity of Man (p306)20 - Jeffrey Ford, The Pittsburgh Technology (p328)21 - Grady Hendrix, Mofongo Knows (p341)22 - Ben H. Winters, The Food Taster's Boy (p357)

    This free anthology will give you an exciting taste of the fierceness of these authors’ debut novels.This anthology contains the following stories:Legacy Lost by Anna BanksThe Witch of Duva by Leigh BardugoProphet by Jennifer BosworthDress Your Marines in White by Emmy LaybourneGlitches by Marissa Meyer

    The afterword explains where the ideas for the stories came from.

    The skies have gone rogue. Space can't be tamed. And magic is a law unto itself. Transport yourself to new worlds where dark magic clashes with witty witches, diabolic demons, feisty fae, and sexy shifters. Or travel through time and space with cosmic spies, space thieves, and telepathic pirates. Add in a dash of Victorian heroes and inhuman soldiers, and you have a one-of-a-kind science fiction and fantasy collection of intoxicating proportions. Fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, John Scalzi or Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Tamora Pierce, Lois Lowry, and Maria V. Snyder will find themselves transported to weird realms and epic otherworlds in this reality-optional boxset. Rogues and Rebels, Magic and Mayhem, Futures and Fantasy—there's no limit to the excitement that awaits when you turn the pages of this collection of spellbinding adventures from some of today's best-selling Science Fiction and Fantasy authors. 1-click ROGUE SKIES today! With stories by... Missy De Graff Bella Andrews Ashlee Nicole Bye Emma Jane Holloway Candace Sams Melinda Kucsera Jennifer Ellision Mirren Hogan USA Today bestselling author Suzanne Jenkins Brantwijn Serrah USA Today bestselling author Shereen Vedam C.L. Cannon S.A. McClure Karen M. Bryson & Candace Segar Rae Hendricks & Lianne Willowmoon Lee French Tamsin Baker Joynell Schultz Tracy Korn Shannon Pemrick Suzanne Hagelin Nadine Travers Cecilia Dominic Bill Hargenrader Jason J. Nugent

    It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.

    1 The Bastard Stepchild - George R.R. Martin 2 Death by Dahlia - Charlaine Harris 3 The Bleeding Shadow - Joe R. Lansdale 4 Hungry Heart - Simon R. Green 5 Styx and Stones - Steven Saylor 6 Pain and Suffering - S.M. Stirling 7 It's Still the Same Old Story - Carrie Vaughn8 The Lady is a Screamer - Conn Iggulden 9 Hellbender - Laurie R. King 10 Shadow Thieves - Glen Cook 11 No Mystery, No Miracle - Melinda M. Snodgrass 12 The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery - M.L.N. Hanover13 The Curious Affair of the Deodand - Lisa Tuttle 14 Lord John and the Plague of Zombies - Diana Gabaldon15 Beware the Snake - John Maddox Roberts 16 In Red, with Pearls - Patricia Briggs 17 The Adakian Eagle - Bradley Denton

    Every night, she begs him not to come to her. Every night, she aims her rifle at his head and fires. The last thing Chris expects—or wants—is for this nightmare to be real. But when he wakes up in the world of his dreams, he has to choose between the likelihood that he’s gone spectacularly bonkers or the possibility that he’s just been let in on the secret of the ages.Only one person in a generation may cross the worlds. These chosen few are the Gifted, called from Earth into Lael to shape the epochs of history—and Chris is one of them. But before he figures that out, he accidentally endangers both worlds by resurrecting a vengeful prince intent on claiming the powers of the Gifted for himself. Together with a suspicious princess and a guilt-ridden Cherazii warrior, Chris must hurl himself into a battle to save a country from war, two worlds from annihilation, and himself from a dream come way too true.

    A series of strange encounters, and her relentlessly curious nature, lead her into the woods where she meets a destiny that has been chasing her since birth. She is unknowingly brought into a world of demons that is fraught with turmoil and deadly power struggles. Lord Balthazar, a demon prince trying to hold his new kingdom together, seizes on the opportunity and takes her hostage. Alexandra’s strong willed, defiant personality not only gets her into heaps of trouble, but also manages to gain the unlikely affections of the demon lord that holds her captive. As time begins to run out for both of them, sacrifices must be made that are to neither one’s liking, and by the time they realize what they truly want, it may be too late.

    No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.Or so she thinks.That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.…Which means digging deeper.When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

    A lifetime of avoiding any physical contact with others has made her isolated and painfully lonely in her small rural town.Then she meets the one boy she can touch. Jenny feels herself falling for Seth...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the deadly pox inside her to confront his ruthless and manipulative girlfriend Ashleigh, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.* * *Not recommended for readers under eighteen.BONUS: Includes an excerpt of Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel.

     Paws, Claws & Aww's is a collection of steamy paranormal romance stories hot enough to melt your digital reader. Powerful, sexy, protective and romantic - this collection of stand-alones and series starters is full of sexy, paranormal, Alpha male shifters, witches and mage's to scratch your itch and make you howl! Featuring: Alana Hart - Saving Her Bear (The Bears of Blackrock #1) Never go home again! That's what Mom said - and stay away from that Fenn boy! How could Catherine Calhoun listen when that 'Fenn boy' has haunted her mind - and heart - for ten years? When Catherine finds herself in trouble, it's not the town of Blackrock or the family she left behind so long ago that calls her back. It's him. It's that Fenn boy. The boy whose kisses are her happiest memory. Yet, John Fenn has secrets - the kind that come with sharp claws and teeth. Even a bit of fur couldn't lessen the magic of his kisses, but there is darkness in Blackrock - the very thing that once tore her away from her true love. Will her return be enough to save John from becoming that darkness' next victim? Julia Leijon - Grizzly Guardian Still reeling from her sister's murder, Merryl retreats to Oregon with her nephew Sam. Building a new life for the pair of them is almost enough to distract her from her grief, especially when she faces the problem of how to help Sam learn what it is to be a bear shifter. With nowhere else to turn and no idea what to do, Merryl turns to her impossibly sexy and unattainable crush, Daniel. Daniel just wants to enjoy small town life after a violent past, but if anyone can see through his gruff facade and battle scars, it's Merryl. Helping Sam discover the cub side of his nature helps Daniel rediscover what it means to connect with those around him. For the sake of Merryl and Sam, Daniel will even return to his harrowing FBI work to help solve the murder and find them some peace. Despite a strong mutual attraction between them, a major obstacle blocks their way, and it's one that Daniel can never let Merryl know about: while his human side wants to support her as a friend while she puts her life back together, the bear in him knows with absolute certainty that he has found his fated mate. Knowing how many emotional burdens Merryl is already coping with, Daniel carries this heavy secret alone. But can Merryl convince him that she's tougher than he thinks, and can make her own choices? After each enduring so much cruelty and hardship at the hands of an unkind world, are the two of them still capable of love and trust? Liv Brywood - Midwinter Night's Alpha (Sexy BBW Pagan Holidays #6) His wickedly sexy tongue explored every inch of her trembling lips. Katelyn knows that returning to West Yellowstone for this year's centennial Yule celebration is probably a huge mistake. But after being gone for five years, she misses her old coven. It should be easy enough to avoid her ex-boyfriend, Devin. After all, werewolves usually hibernate during the winter. So when the BBW witch runs into him not five minutes after getting into town, she's convinced she's cursed. She knows better than to trust his rugged good looks and washboard abs. His silver-tipped tongue has ruined her life once before, and she refuses to make the same mistake twice... even if he does look hotter than a gushing geyser. Emma Alisyn - Alphonso's Baby (Clan Conroy Brides #2) Bear shifter Alphonso shunned his mate to protect her from his dark past... but when he discovers her six month old baby is his, will he take the risk in order to raise their child? Always looking over his shoulder for enemies, Alphonso pushed curvy Tamar away after their one, blazing hot night together. "I'm not relationship material, Tam. Don't get stars in your eyes." Only that one night resulted in a secret child, a beautiful baby girl Tamar has been hiding in plain sight for six months. Waiting patiently for him to see the goshdarnit light already. When he discovers her deception, Alphonso knows he has a choice to make. Continue to allow his past to dictate his future, or take a chance on true love and family? Tamar isn't certain her childhood love Al will ever see reason- she knows he did some bad stuff. Especially when that bad stuff shows up in the form of a curvy, exotic ex-girlfriend looking for protection. Tamar isn't going to roll over and play dead, though. She's Head Sow in these parts and no one - not the mysterious beauty, not her father's disapproval, and certainly not the enemies waiting in the shadows to strike - are going to claim what belongs to her without a bloody fight. Terra Wolf - Leaping Through Time (Soul Mate Bureau #2) William has the money to find his mate, but does he have the time... The crazy, old witch says she can send the wealthy, leopard shifter back in time to meet his mate, for a hefty fee. He'll have one week to find her or lose her forever. In a foreign land and a foreign place where his money is useless, he'll need his own wits and animal instincts to find the woman of his dreams. Constance is a woman in a man's world... She makes armour for the gladiators in a world where the men are men and the women are their objects. Constance has long since given up on love when just getting through a gruelling day is challenging enough. When the gorgeous, but wild eyed and crazy, fool in the silly clothes tells her stories of whisking her away to a future of leisure and money, all in exchange for one night of mating, she can't help but want him to not be lying. Another suitor pursues William and isn't willing to share... The beautiful and wealthy Fiona tries to distract William off the trail of his fated mate with her womanly ways and won't take no for an answer. When William is forced to unleash his leopard to try survive, Constance realises that she's unknowingly craved a man like him all along. Will the two of them have enough to survive the past, escape to William's present, and show Constance a future she never thought possible? Tina Talon - Bad Boy Wolf Joshua is a love 'em and leave 'em type of fellow. That is until he bumps into Meagan and everything changes. Meagan isn't used to shifter men and their lustful appetites and stormy tempers, but falls for Joshua anyhow. Can the two of them make a go of it, despite everything that could keep them apart? Christy Rivers - Real Men Are Bears After catching her boyfriend with another woman in their bed, Jess Perkins is blind with rage. The only thing she can think of doing is to take a long drive through the Washington wilderness. Eventually, she finds herself in the small town of Douglas, where the only place that's open is Uncle Ray's Bar and Grill. Jess, a struggling alcoholic, knows she shouldn't stop where temptation lurks. But there's no harm in walking in and ordering a harmless little burger... Thomas Hannity grew up listening to stories about fated mates, but he knows they're only fairy tales. His last relationship was with a human, and it ended badly. When he unexpectedly runs into his ex at work, it sends him into a spiral, and the only balm for his ache is a nice, strong drink at his favourite bar. It's a night just like any other... until a curvy, dark-haired girl wanders in from the cold. A girl that Thomas feels the sudden need to protect the moment he sets eyes on her. She's an independent city girl with a dark past. He's a bear shifter who no longer believes in love. Logically, they make no sense together. But destiny often isn't logical at all. Kellan Larkin - Alpha's Soulmate (Alphas' Fated Mates #1) M/M Gay Shifter Mpreg Romance He took my chin and pressed his lips to mine. Bliss overwhelmed me. This was utterly divine. Tucker's an Omega wolf recovering from a traumatic past. He ran away to Lake City to pursue his passion for journalism. While he knows it's also time to find his Alpha, he's distrustful and wary of emotional intimacy. That changes when he meets Clay. After a broken engagement with an ex-fiancé who stalked and threatened him, Clay buried himself in his work, founding a successful tech company. Now he's ready to move on and find his fated mate. But it turns out his ex isn't quite ready to let him go... When demons from the past threaten to disrupt the pair's growing relationship, Tucker and Clay find that they'll have to fight for their love. We’re going to start off fresh and build something together. We can do this, Tucker. You and me. Tessa Thorn - Dating The Billionaire Dragon (Mail Order Mates #1) "So, you’re the kind of lady who isn’t afraid to find out what a dragon’s like in the bedroom, huh?" Tina Valdez is the curvaceous, successful owner of a boutique bakery and a respected member of her community. There's just one thing missing - a man to share it all with. That changes when she meets real estate tycoon Blake through the shifter dating service Mail Order Mates. Blake the dragon shifter is sweet, sexy, and dominant in the bedroom. And he treats her like the goddess she is. But when anti-shifter prejudice threatens her business, she has to make a hard decision. Can she have it all? Or will she have to choose between her home and heritage and the promise of a new future with Blake? J.S. Wilder - Beared To Him (HoneyPoint Town #1) This is Part one of a Three Part series about HoneyPoint Town. Raine Wilson wants one thing: marriage. Her ex comes back into town after a mutual friend dies and after finally moving on with her life after six years. She finds it hard not to resist temptation to fall for the one that broke her heart. Joe Carlton wants one thing: to avoid his true form. Having to go back home after six years. He can’t resist but show his true form when he sees the luscious curves and earthy brown skin of his mate in the arms of another man. There’s a war coming to HoneyPoint Town and none of the locals know it until Joe starts to fight for the love he once lost. Erica Summers - The Dark Mage's Girlfriend What do you do when your crush turns out to be a Dark Wizard, summoner and binder of demons? Amy works at a supermarket while studying for college. One normal day, she finally gets her chance to ask her crush and neighbour out. She runs after him just as her shift ends. But, in a narrow street, a surprise awaits. The dreamy, aloof man who comes to the shop everyday, whenever she works, turns out to be a mage, and a dark one at that. Can Amy find love or will she be swallowed by his darkness? Kit Fawkes - Playing With Fire (Elementals #1) Curvy fire elemental witch Serafina’s hot temper gets the best of her, leading her to make a mistake during a vengeance spell that accidentally summons a high-level demon to do her bidding instead. Liam appears to help her undo what she’s done, and she’s drawn to the mysterious Guardian of the balance between light and dark magic. He’s intent on tracking down the demon, but her heart isn’t in stopping the vengeance curse just yet. Their attraction is mutual, but will Serafina and Liam find a way to make their relationship work, or will it flash and burn out after the mission binding him to her is complete, and he no longer has a reason to stay?