It’s how so many of our most beloved stories start.Fairy tales have dominated our cultural imagination for centuries. From the Brothers Grimm to the Countess d’Aulnoy, from Charles Perrault to Hans Christian Anderson, storytellers have crafted all sorts of tales that have always found a place in our hearts.Now a new generation of storytellers have taken up the mantle that the masters created and shaped their stories into something startling and electrifying.Packed with award-winning authors, this anthology explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual, including science fiction, western, and post-apocalyptic as well as traditional fantasy and contemporary horror.From the woods to the stars, The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales takes readers on a journey at once unexpected and familiar, as a diverse group of writers explore some of our most beloved tales in new ways across genres and styles.

    He thought getting away from New York for a few days would be good for him, but he didn't expect to see the first person he'd ever fallen in love with. Jake Pierson gave his heart to Charlie when he was barely fifteen years old. As best friends, Jake believed he and Charlie would be together forever, but when Charlie took the easier path in life, Jake was left to deal with a future without the man he loved. Jake knew tricking Charlie into performing at a conference he'd helped organise was low-handed, but he had a promise to keep and a future to build. 'Convention Confusion' by Amber Kell Dressing up as a girl can sometimes win you the man of your dreams.Billy Ferris has adored Jennvian Fellows comics since he read the first edition. When the chance to meet the illustrator comes up he accepts his friends help to dress as his favourite character, space pirate female Kixie. Little does he know that Jenn not only prefers men but is looking for the mate of his dreams to take back to his home world. Will Billy be able to show his true self and capture the man of his not so pure dreams. 'Ninja Cupcakes' by T.A. ChaseEthan's special talents and cupcakes bring him the love of his life.Ethan Gallagher loves to bake, and his cupcakes are known throughout his area as being the best. When he agrees to do the desserts for a sci-fi convention his brother is putting on, Ethan gets a chance to realise his biggest fantasy. One of the panelists is Callum MacLaughlin, a man Ethan's been lusting after since they'd met four years ago. Ethan discovers Callum will be there, and he decides it's time to make his move on the astrophysicist. With the help of some special cupcakes, Ethan makes not only his dream come true, but the hopes of his brother and his best friend as well.'Operation: Get Spencer' by Jambrea Jo JonesEven if superpowers were real Benjamin still might not get his man.Benjamin and Spencer are spending the day at Comi Con. Spencer is a comic geek and Benjamin would follow him anywhere.The only problem? Spencer thinks Benjamin is straight and Benjamin just realized he is in love with his best friend. Is a day enough for Benjamin to convince Spencer that his love is more powerful than a locomotive and that it hit him faster than a speeding bullet? Tune in to find out if Benjamin saves the day. 'Fan-Tastic' by Stephani HechtEverybody knows the best lovers are geeks.It's time again for the annual Comic Book and Horror Convention. Normally, Deke liked to avoid these things. While he may be a well known actor, he wasn't hunky or a beefcake and he was always overlooked. In fact, most people like to call him 'the geek of geeks'. But, the producers of his popular TV series don't care and they order Deke to go. So, while he knows he won't have any fun he has no choice but to attend. Blake harboured a crush on Deke even before the other man became famous. When he finds out that Deke will be at the convention, Blake knows he has to attend as well. Since he is trying to promote his own comic, Blake decides that he can mix a little business with his fun. To Blake's dismay, not only does Deke not remember him, but the actor refuses to believe that Blake could have any romantic feelings for a geek. Blake decides that he can't let this opportunity slip through his fingers, though. He may have given up on Deke all those years ago, but not this time. Will Blake be able to convince Deke to give him a chance? Or will the final credits roll before they find love? 'Rough Awakening' by Devon RhodesWhen Mario sets out to find a roommate for the convention, little does he know he'll end up finding much more.Is there anything worse than learning you have to share a hotel room with your ex boyfriend and his new love? Mario has to scramble to find someone else to share with and ends up reconnecting with a sexy acquaintance...in more ways than one. Jordan remembers Mario from two conventions ago and goes along with his need to find a roommate. Sparks fly between them from their first phone call and everything looks more than promising for a very memorable convention. But when two tops tango, which one is guaranteed the lead? It ends up being a rough awakening for one of these alpha athletes...

    Laughing his way through life, he’s never been weighed down by love and lust. Then one fateful day, his tenuous tie to the earth is severed and he blows away on the wind. He’s rescued by Dmitri, a handsome young woodsman who suffers from a mysterious curse of his own, and the two strangers are irresistibly drawn together. Experiencing sex and love for the first time, they dive into a delightfully sensual and passionate affair. But the evil witch who cursed them is planning her ultimate revenge. Efrosin and Dmitri must fight to find their fairy tale ending and live happily ever after. This is a retold fairy tale with an erotic twist. Previously published as Earthly Desires.This is a previously published edition of ISBN 9781626227422

    P. Barnaby – END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (First Love )*Sarah Black – SUCKER-PUNCH (Athlete/Hurt-Comfort )Scarlet Blackwell – BREAKING WAVES (Surfing/Angst )Penny Brandon – FINDING JACK (Cowboys/Mild BDSM )Lee Brazil – BE A BAD BOY (First-Time/Family Drama )Cardeno C. – WOMAN WITH A DILDO (Friends to Lovers )L.C. Chase – OPEN TACKLE (Friends to Lovers )*Kim Dare – MASOCHISM 101 (BDSM/Friends to Lovers )S.J. Frost – A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY (Musicians/Rivals to Lovers )Jeanette Grey – HEART AND SOUL (Friends to Lovers )Jambrea Jo Jones – WILD BLUE YONDER (Military )*Pender Mackie by DOG DAYS OF SUMMER (Blue Collar/First Date )JL Merrow – BEAR NAKED (First-time/Bears )M.J. O'Shea – BRIDGES (First Love )*Neil S. Plakcy – PHOTO BOOTH (Cowboys/FBI )Dustin Adrian Rhodes – STORM OF PASSION (Friends to Lovers )Jaime Samms – MOURNING (Hurt/Comfort )*Justin South – REFLECTIONS (First Love/Hurt-Comfort )Zach Sweets – LUSCIOUS LOVE (Coming out/Food Kinky )Piper Vaughn – WANTING (First Love )*Silvia Violet – TIME TO TELL (Military/Friends to Lover)Deanna Wadsworth – UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE (Office Sex )Stuart Wakefield – THE ELEMENTS OF LOVE (Sci-Fi/Ménage )Alex Whitehall – HOLD ME TIGHT (Hurt-Comfort/BDSM Light )Lisa Worrall – JUST ONE KISS (Gay-for-You/Cops )Connor Wright – GONE TO PIECES (Sci-Fi/Mild BDSM )

    They say he's a warrior. They call him a demon. They whisper that he can grant wishes.Saiven can't resist. He sneaks into the secluded dungeon to see, but the man chained to the wall is not what he expects. Smiling. Teasing. He introduces himself as Faolan, and Saiven is caught.This...man. He makes Saiven feel things he should not feel. Draws forth confessions that were meant to stay secret. Faolan freely grants him warmth and laughter. But now...Now it's time to find out if Saiven is strong enough to earn a wish.

    From Roger Zelansky's delightful tale of Death's disobedient godson to Peter Straub's blood-chilling examination of a gargantuan Cinderella and her terrible twisted "art," here are stories strange and miraculous -- remarkable modern storytelling that remold our most cherished childhood fables into things sexier, more sinister... and more appealing to grown-up tastes and sensibilities. The "Snow White, Blood Red" Collection #1. Snow White, Blood Red #2. Black Thorn, White Rose #3. Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears #4. Black Swan, White Raven #5. Silver Birch, Blood Moon #6. Black Heart, Ivory Bones

    He loves his job and helping out the community. But Thomas soon finds out that the town he has lived in all of his life isn’t what it seems.Federal Marshal Tyler Alpine has wrapped up the case he was working on in Brac Village and is ready to head out when he spots a gorgeous man in need of help. When Tyler decides he can’t pass up a good-looking man with car trouble, he soon finds out that the stunning man is his mate.Thomas invites Tyler in for a hot cup of coffee and soon finds himself in the arms of one very attractive wolf shifter.But when trouble lands on Thomas’s doorstep, he must rely on Tyler’s quick wit and skills to save him from a date gone horribly wrong.Note: This app version at 10,197 words is available for free only inside the BookStrand App. A revised and expanded version at 14,707 words is available for sale separately.

    Seiran Rou has more issues than just a phobia of commitment. A recent rash of attacks and harassment at school has left him withdrawn and edgy.Making a cake for his mother was never really about making Tanaka Rou happy, and Seiran wears his heart on his sleeve as he tries, yet again, to please her. But Gabe has an idea how to put a much needed smile on Sei’s sweet face. Starting with “helping” make the frosting and showing Sei that pastry can be more than a little decadent...

    With his former master dead, all Duncan has to do is steal the very thing that has been holding him captive all these years, his dragon's eye. The stone holds his magic and his dragon self and without it, he can never go home again.What should be an easy theft turns complicated when he finds that someone has beat him to the eye and he has no idea where it could be. To add to things he suddenly finds himself teamed up with the dead sorcerers' son, Trent. For years Duncan has longed for Trent, but had never dared act on his desires. Then one night of passion between the men changes everything and Duncan realises that he could lose something far more valuable than his dragon's eye, he could lose Trent.Will Duncan be able to save them both? Or will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice?Reader Advisory: This story has been previously released as part of the Stealing My Heart anthology by Total-E-Bound.

    It follows the relationship between Jord and Aimeric and is set during the events of Prince’s Gambit.

    Felix is his hunky next door neighbor. One weekend when they're both out enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning, Felix asks Keifer out for dinner and ice cream. One thing leads to another and the two discover that they're very compatible, in and out of bed.Keifer's got that secret, though, and he's not sure exactly how to tell Felix about it and he's more than a little worried about how Felix is going to take it. What happens when the truth comes out unexpectedly, and that truth has a tail?

    A temple slave tends a man due to be sacrificed. A soldier releases a genie. In seven fantasy short stories and novellas, men find passion with other men in the most unexpected places, and even the gravest circumstances may open the door to hope and love. This anthology includes two brand-new short stories. In “The Sacrifice,” Rylo is a temple slave tasked with comforting a man who is scheduled to be killed in the morning. In “Chasing Away Cold,” Daku builds an ice sculpture of the god Jarli in order to ensure the end of winter. The collection also includes three novellas and two additional short stories, gathered for the first time in a single volume. “Treasure” introduces Jules, a young man who travels to the quirky seaside town of Urchin Cove to regain his health—and finds an unexpected treasure washed up on the beach. Xolani, a soldier in “Three Wishes,” picks up a small glass bottle and unleashes a surprise. Another soldier, Volos in “Guarded,” will risk everything to save Prince Berhanu. In the sequel, “Mato’s Tale,” an unassuming innkeeper gets a chance for adventure. And in “The Downs,” Enitan is unjustly banished and comes to discover that the demons he must face aren’t the ones he expected. Join Kim Fielding on journeys through imagined worlds where magic is commonplace and romance lies just around the next bend. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers.

    Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he shares with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world.

    Then add another set, echoing the first, layer upon layer of sensation as two sets of hands join the game, stroking, sliding, ratcheting up the heat. And when your lips part and the tip of your tongue darts out, it's met by two more in a luscious, messy, three-way kiss. This is necking, pure and hot, sending shivers of arousal down your spine. In these stories, the men come in threes: triple the pleasure, triple the love.

    Generations of Russells have lived and died with only their familiars at their side. The presence of a friendly familiar is enough to keep even the loneliest witch sane, and yet Piotr deliberately hasn’t chosen one. He forces himself to keep busy instead, but the emptiness of his house haunts him even more the spirit of Great-Great-Aunt Elysia in the parlor. With Samhain and Halloween approaching, he’ll have much to do, and knowing that, his concerned coven seizes the chance to intervene and sends help to his door in the form of Bartleby Dorchester. The rarest of rare jewels, Bartleby is a human familiar: a witch with no magic of his own, and a desire to find a strong witch to help and serve. In particular, he desires to help and serve Piotr, and everything in Piotr wants to let him. Bartleby was meant to be his familiar; Piotr knows it as surely as he knows when it will rain or when the apples in his garden will ripen. But what Piotr wants from Bartleby, all he’s ever wanted, is for Bartleby to love him, something he thinks is impossible. Russells live and die unloved, and he won’t allow Bartleby to feel obligated to spend his life with him as his familiar if he could be happy in love with someone else. But Samhain is a time for change, when walls come down and borders grow thin, and Bartleby isn’t going to waste what might be his last chance to convince Piotr that they were meant to be. He might have no magic, but love is a power all its own.