Young, reckless, and catapulted toward uncertain futures, here is the new face of Chinese youth on a quest for every kind of freedom.From a crowded apartment on Mott Street, where an immigrant family raises its first real Americans, to a pair of divers at the Beijing Olympics poised at the edge of success and self-discovery, Wang’s unforgettable characters – with their unusual careers, unconventional sex lives and fantastical technologies – share the bold hope that, no matter where they’ve come from, their lives too can be extraordinary.

     She is desperately excited to explore not only the foreign land with all its alien culture but also the role of a wife and all the pleasures that come with it… In no time at all Constance is shocked on both accounts. China stuns her with its barbaric and improper behaviour which, almost against her will, begins to tease her imagination. At the same time, Mr Henry Baird, despairing of his sinful desires, proves unable to indulge Constance’s wishes. The marriage, failing from the beginning, spirals further and further out of control as Constance, aided by her only ally Kate, inadvertently becomes a famous ‘Devil Woman’ throughout the region and faces an audience with the Empress herself. As her new life unfolds, Constance finds herself tortured by desire, teetering on the edge of love and caught up in a dangerous whirlwind of international politics. She ricochets between the Chinese extremes of complete intimacy and deadly violence as they head slowly into war. What does ‘The Crimson Pagoda’ promise? ‘The Crimson Pagoda’ is a gripping and engaging historical romance by a master of the genre. Praise for Christopher Nicole: ‘Well-researched…Evocative descriptions of scenery and edifices, and exact period dialogue’ – Historical Novels Society Christopher Nicole was born and brought up in British Guyana and the West Indies. His output of books has been prolific and many of his novels are historical with a Caribbean background.

    A foreign worker is decapitated in an HDB building site accident. A Singaporean wife must negotiate Beijing as her British husband awaits a heart transplant. And in different corners of the world, Singaporeans and exiles mark National Day in their own ways.Jeremy Tiang’s debut collection weaves together the lives of its characters across the world—from Switzerland, Norway, Germany, China, Canada, Thailand, New York City and back to Singapore. These wry, unsettling stories ask how we decide where we belong, and what happens to those who don’t.

    At the heart of Chang's achievement is her short fiction—tales of love, longing, and the shifting and endlessly treacherous shoals of family life. Written when Chang was still in her twenties, these extraordinary stories combine an unsettled, probing, utterly contemporary sensibility, keenly alert to sexual politics and psychological ambiguity, with an intense lyricism that echoes the classics of Chinese literature. Love in a Fallen City, the first collection in English of this dazzling body of work, introduces American readers to the stark and glamorous vision of a modern master.

    The Scholars is the first Chinese novel of its scope not to borrow any characters from history or legend and it is the first work of satiric realism to achieve an almost complete disassociation from the religious beliefs of the people. Departing from the impersonal tradition of Chinese fiction, Wu abandons such established narrative formulas as folk songs and poetic verse in favor of autobiographical experiences, descriptive realism, and characters modeled after his friends and relatives — elements that combine to give this critique of the Confucian civil service system an unprecedented immediacy and humor.

    For the special edition slipcase please go here.You know the drill by now. The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories from some of the best writers in North America. This year's slipcase is a thing of beauty, too, with electric-yellow lining and spot-glossed lettering. It also comes wrapped in two rubber bands to keep those booklets snug in their beds.

    “Spare and haunting tales that ask ordinary questions about that extraordinary emotion: love.”—Chicago TribuneThe novella and five stories that make up this collection reveal the lives of immigrant families haunted by lost loves: a ghost seduces a young girl into a flooded river; a mother commands a daughter to avenge her father’s death; and in the title novella, a woman speaks from beyond the grave about her tragic marriage to an exiled musician whose own disappointments nearly destroyed their two daughters.

    The innocent Ashley is overjoyed when Brandon hires her for a dream job. But Brandon has much more in mind and seduces Ashley. The couple's physical relationship sexually awakens Ashley and sends her on a journey of discovery. For once Brandon is committed to a relationship, but his past exploits could destroy everything. Erotic, Amusing, and Sensual. Seduce Me will Entertain, Arouse, and Captivate you. This book is intended for mature audiences.

    And despite all of the above, the absolute necessity of it, no matter its consequences. Whether it’s a college student undone by the boy who leaves her, or the boyfriend intent on leveling old scores from high school for his lover, or the husband who discovers—in the grocery store—the woman he should have been with all along, every character, no matter how off track, wants to believe in debt and credit and payback and making the messy world—and the messy world of love—turn out neatly.

    But Commonwealth operative Simon Kovalic knows nothing ever goes to plan. So, when a duplicitous bounty hunter lives up to his reputation, Kovalic’s ready—just maybe not ready enough.Now he and his team must get offworld, before their enemies catch up with them…

    Lady Cordelia Branley, daughter of Baron Tillingford, in London for the first time, is captivated by Lord Edward Fitzhugh. But her chaperone, Miss Millpost, is not so convinced of the young Lord’s character. Philip Canterwood, Duke of Rotherhithe, is set in his ways as a widower – until the request of his dying friend, Baron Tillingford, to investigate the man that Lady Cordelia fancies herself in love with. Once he begins to look into it, everything changes… Is Lord Edward as charming and pleasant as he seems? Will Lady Cordelia find true love in the end? Or will she be blinded by charm with no substance? And will the Duke allow himself to love again? The Duke and the Lady’s Maid Eric Caxton, the Duke of Amesbury, suspected that Olivia was no ordinary lady's maid. She was too refined and a bit impertinent. All Olivia wanted was to free herself from the employ of her aunt and cousin who delighted in her discomfort. A summer trip to Bath would be just the ticket to find a respectable Lady in need of a maid, but Olivia found more than she bargained for when she caught the interest of the Duke. Hope for Charity Rumor has it that the Earl of Wentwell is a self-serving rogue who is desired by all the women of the Ton. Lady Charity Abernathy is the epitome of naiveté and believes everything she hears. Both are hoping for happiness. Both are longing for love. And things are not always what they seem. Summer with the Duke Abigail Jones is unhappy with life on her family’s farm and flees to Bath for the summer, to work in her aunt and uncle’s shop. Quite by accident, she meets the Duke of Hampston’s daughter, who takes an immediate liking to her, and invites her to her home for tea. Abigail, unaware that she will be visiting the home of a Duke, agrees. Jealousy ensues when the Duke’s almost fiancée sees how well both the daughter and the Duke hit it off with Abigail. Will the Duke stay the course and marry Lady Margaret? Or will he confess that he’s secretly falling for Abigail? The Duke’s First Love Rose expected a proposal from the dashing Duke of Highbury, but it did not come. When she finds out he is marrying another, she reluctantly goes with her family to Bath for the summer. Will the round of summer parties help wash her sour memories away? The Duke’s Scandalous Scholar Widower Evan Aldercliffe, Duke of Foxchester, joins his family in Bath, hoping to regain his footing and recover from grief. There he meets Bridget Stanhope, a free-spirited woman who thinks that all men are foolish. Sparks fly immediately, but the result is... magical. The Governess and the Scandalous Duke Miss Beatrice Lakeheart is left in the most unfortunate circumstances after the death of her mother and the remarriage of her Papa. When she is offered employment as a governess for the scandalous, world weary Duke of Carrington, little does she know that her very innocence will attract him to her like a moth to a flame. But between her jealous stepbrother and his jealous (and unpleasant) fiancée, can they still find their happily ever after? Amelia and the Earl Amelia Dane, plain, sensible, and poor, gave up her

    A sexy fling wasn’t on her Christmas list this year, but Santa has a trick up his sleeve for the hard-working business owner – and his name is Tobin Looney. A missed flight and a few shots of Fireball later, a silent night is the last thing on their minds. Sinclair and Tobin find themselves in a spicy, sweet, and sticky situation. Will the serious Sinclair throw caution to the wind for the very sexy and wild Tobin Looney? Find out in Not So Silent Night.

     Someone with the same habits, the same hobbies, the same interests. She wants The One. And she will do anything to find her. If you like a quick, little read with a touch of romance, a touch of spooky, then you will love KC Luck’s page-turning short story. Note: This is a short story and includes strong female characters in a lesbian relationship.

    Kinney"A Collective Pseudonym and an Expanding Universe: A Conversation with James S.A. Corey" by Chris Urie"Another Word: Dystopias Are Not Enough" by Kelly Robson"Editor’s Desk: Stomp Stomp Stomp" by Neil Clarke

     Stealing the best talent from my competitor seemed like a grand idea. That was until I fell head over heels for the beautiful, curvy vixen. Love stories don’t belong in the office, but rules be damned. This woman has me wrapped around her finger almost from the start. I’m good with keeping things casual until she walks away. Then I’m willing to give away anything to get her back. I have no choice. She’s pregnant with my secret baby. And outside of that? I’m mad in love.