Here are twenty original stories of diabolical crimes and magical solutions featuring some of today's top science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writers. From the Elizabethan era to the far-flung future, from the interstellar realm of the Eraasian Hegemony to the Las Vegas Strip, these ingenious whodunits (or whatdunits) are sure to baffle and delight every lover of mystery and the fantastic.From WorldCat - Contents:Introduction and Afterword by Rosemary EdghillPiece of Mind by Jennifer RobersonSpecial Surprise Guest Appearance by ... by Carole Nelson DouglasDoppelgangster by Laura ResnickMixed Marriages Can Be Murder by Will GrahamCase of the Headless Corpse by Josepha ShermanDeath in the Working by Debra DoyleCold Case by Diane DuaneSnake in the Grass by Susan R. MatthewsDouble Jeopardy by M.J. HamiltonWitch Sight by Roberta GellisOverrush by Laura Anne GilmanCaptured in Silver by Teresa EdgertonNight at the Opera by Sharon Lee and Steve MillerTremble in the Air by James D. MacdonaldMurder Entailed by Susan KrinardDropping Hints by Lawrence Watt-EvansAu Purr by Esther FriesnerGetting the Chair by Keith R.A. DeCandidoNecromancer's Apprentice by Lillian Stewart CarlGrey Eminence by Mercedes Lackey

     So don’t expect a normal stay…and don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage….In Clean Sweep, Dina—with the unwanted assistance of newcomer (and alpha werewolf) Sean Evans and Arland, a cosmic vampire soldier—takes on an extraterrestrial killing machine that could destroy her Inn, her neighbors, and everything she holds dear.Sweep in Peace, finds Dina hosting an anything-but peace summit between three warring intergalactic species; Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char.  One Fell Sweep sends Dina to the galaxy’s worst penal colony to rescue her sister; and back home to fend off a clan of assassins in pursuit, all while saving a guest’s civilization from annihilation…and searching for her missing parents.

    A prince with a heart of ice. A darkness lurking in the shadows, so evil it may destroy them all. Eighteen-year-old Sloane has spent years training to be lethal. She can cut a man down as easily with her bare hands as she can with a sword. But when her brother goes missing on the green planet, Aeris, she will need more than her skills with a blade to save him. Sneaking aboard the rescue mission may be easy for her, but the woods of Aeris aren’t as empty as her people first assumed. Sloane is about to meet her match, and he’s not exactly human… Kidnapped and dragged to a mysterious frozen world, Sloane must gain her captor’s trust if she wants to escape. The only problem is: she didn’t plan to care for the strange people who live there. She didn’t expect the smoldering attraction she feels for the man who keeps her prisoner in the snow. And she never imagined the dark creatures that haunt the foreign world could hold the answers she is looking for.

    Make your own destiny. Reychel is a slave girl surrounded by magic, lies, and manipulation. Her best friend disappears in the middle of the night leaving Reychel to face her fifteenth birthday, the day her master burns his brand into the back of her bald head, alone. Sheltered from the outside world and without any hope for escape, can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

     One hand of cards and it's all over but the crying... Cass Kennedy finally gets what she's been dreaming of for the past ten years: a drifter ship to call her own. All the sim time and battle training is going to pay off in spades as she sets her course for the future. She'll be living on her own terms, not those of her father's. But drifting through deep space with a crew of nutty strangers on the DS Anarchy carries a lot more surprises than she bargained for. Nobody told her that her ship is falling apart, that dead chickens are something you really want to hang on to, and that the OSG has big plans for the universe that don't necessarily jibe with her plans for herself. Jump onboard with Cass and her crew as she charts a course toward an alliance that will either make her or break her as Captain of the DS Anarchy. SERIES: This is Book 1 in a series of 3 or more GENRE: Science Fiction, Space Opera AUDIENCE: For older teens and adults CONTENT WARNING: Colorful language, sexy stuff, and general badassery

    over one million words of divinely (and diabolically) inspired fantasy, adventure, and romance.Join the freshest voices in urban fantasy and paranormal, New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors, on unique journeys to heaven, hell, and worlds beyond.

    After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan--a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating--Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier--and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real.

     Dive into the holiday spirit this season with fifteen bite-sized paranormal shorts full of mystery, danger, humor, and romance. Experience the wonder as you journey alongside werewolves, vampires, djinn, monsters, fae, hellhounds, witches, druids, and one seriously pissed-off fairy godmother. From New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors, every selection in this rare, limited edition set will keep you spellbound from page one. But make sure you've been good and your stockings are hung with care, because this Christmas there's no telling what's coming down the chimney. Including: Yule Moon by Aimee Easterling Miami Twist by A. Blythe Fall by Demelza Carlton Frost Bitten by Katie Salidas The Angel and the Beast by C.N. Crawford Santa Meets Mrs. Claus by J.L. Hendricks The Witch of Christmas Present by Katerina Martinez A Stone's Throw Christmas by Hailey Edwards Simon Says by Rachel McClellan Frost by K.N. Lee Druid Spirit by Amy Hopkins Matchsticks by May Sage Bloody Jolly Christmas by Rick Gualtieri Heart of Ice by Erin Bedford Kris Kringle Rides Again by P. Joseph Cherubino Grab Magic & Mistletoe today and enjoy the holidays with not just one good story, but fifteen!

    They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots. Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone. Then she meets Lucas, everything changes. Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race. It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

    Where they took that first sentence was completely up to them.Every story is different.No story is related.The only thing these stories have in common is their starting point.All of the authors showcased in this anthology were featured in The Bookworm Box charity during 2019.Each author has graciously donated their story so that 100% of profits from this anthology will be going to the various charities The Bookworm Box is able to support because of you, the readers.

    From The Wizard of Oz to The Dark Tower, from Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass to C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, there is a rich tradition of this kind of fiction, but never before have the best parallel world stories and portal fantasies been collected in a single volume—until now.

    They will set off a race to unravel the deepest secrets of human existence--and an event that could change humanity forever.

    Bear Shifter Cormac is determined to take single mom Nell as his mate, despite her objections—until her sons are endangered and she desperately needs help.National bestselling author Jean Johnson returns to her Vulland Chronicles with The Hunter’s Cabin. On the run after being falsely accused of treason, ex-prince Kiereseth and his companion Vielle take refuge in a snowbound cabin—and in each other’s arms.In No Surprise More Magical, Hanna Martine expands on the fascinating world she introduced in Liquid Lies. After dissolving their arranged marriage, Ofarian guard David pairs up with the heartbroken Kelsey to try to thwart an enemy to their race and win her heart on his own terms.

    They have been the subject of films, radio dramatizations and have even been presented on ice Read the originals now and one of the world's greatest ever story tellers will give you hours of pleasure and enjoyment.Stories included are: "Around the World in 80 Days, The Clipper of the Clouds, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon" and "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea."

    Included titles: Dire Straits by Helen Harper Dog with a Bone by Hailey Edwards A Demon Bound by Debra Dunbar Influential Magic by Deanna Chase Forbidden by Selene Charles All for a Rose by Jennifer Blackstream The Keepers by Donna Augustine Dire Straits - A half-dead daemon, a massacre at her based PI firm and evidence that suggests she's the main suspect for both ... Bo Blackman is having a very bad week. She might be naive and inexperienced but she's determined to get to the bottom of the crimes, even if it means involving herself with one of London's most powerful vampire Families and their enigmatic leader. Dog with a Bone - Half-bloods with Thierry’s skill set are given two options. They can join the conclave’s marshal program, or they can pack their bags. Turn down the job offer, and you’ve just booked yourself a one-way ticket to Faerie. Texas is the only home Thierry has ever known, and she’s not going anywhere. Even if it means following in her notorious father’s footsteps as a peacekeeper. But pinning on the badge opens her eyes to the fact sometimes fae need protection too, and that sometimes humans are the real monsters. A Demon Bound - Samantha Martin is an imp, enjoying an extended vacation from Hell. All she wants to do is drink beer by the pool, play mischievous pranks on the humans, and get her hot neighbor in the sack. It’s a relaxing break from her infernal home as long as she manages to avoid the angels, who won’t hesitate to execute her on sight. But when her naughty hellhound lands her in trouble with the local werewolf pack, Sam is blackmailed into helping track and catch a killer. The steps she must take to appease the werewolves will put her right in the crosshairs of the angels. And with angels, there is no second chance.Influential Magic - Willow Rhoswen, part-time vampire hunter for the Void, is having a rough week. Four years after her twin brother’s mysterious death, Willow’s life is threatened and the director saddles her with a new partner—her ex-boyfriend turned vamp, David. But unsure of where David’s loyalties lie, Willow turns to Talisen, her childhood crush, for help. Caught between two gorgeous men and a director who’ll stop at nothing to control Willow’s gifts, she’ll have to follow her instincts and learn who to trust. Otherwise, she risks losing more than just her life. Forbidden - Flint DeLuca and her dad have moved three times in the past year. But that's the life of a carnie. Even an ex-carnie like her. Her father swears this is the last move. All Flint wants now is to graduate from High School and put the carnival life behind her. Unfortunately, one of the two ain't gonna happen. Cain. No last name. Wears shades in school. Dresses entirely in black. And only speaks to her when he's insulting her. And yet... there's something about the Goth boy that draws her like a moth to flame. God, she can't wait to graduate, only problem is she's pretty sure her high school’s infested by vampires. Cain might be one of them. And for some reason, she seems to be on their menu. All For a Rose - A tale as old as time… An enchanted rose. A witch’s curse. A beast’s temper. A maiden who can see the potential for good even beneath the scales of a monster. It’s amazing what can transpire…All for a Rose. The Keepers - Two days ago, Jo Davids was a waitress by night and a college kid by day, with the unnerving problem of objects floating around her.