Magic after Dark


S.M. Reine - 2013
    Prepare for a wild ride, whether you're looking for nail-biting drama, mystery, intense action, humor, new breeds of paranormals, or passionate romance. Indulge in this amazing boxed set from 6 bestselling urban fantasy authors:SM Reine - Sacrificed in ShadowMarie Hall - Crimson Night, DarkDeanna Chase - Influential MagicDanielle Monsch - Fairy Tales and Ever AftersKate Danley - Maggie for HireDannika Dark - SterlingSACRIFICED IN SHADOW (Ascension #1) by SM ReineLincoln Marshall is a small-town deputy with a very big problem. Six members of his church have been found dead, killed by a rogue werewolf. He'll have to make a deal with the Devil to save victims that have gone missing -- maybe literally. Elise Kavanagh, preternatural investigator and exorcist, is the expert when it comes to violent deaths at the jaws of evil. She's also among the most powerful demons that Hell has spawned. Elise jumps at Lincoln's case, and it's not just because of his down-home charm. Someone's laid a trap for her in Northgate, and she wants to find out who.... CRIMSON NIGHT by Marie Hall Welcome one and all to Carnival Diabolique- my name is Pandora, and I'm a Nephilim. What does that mean? I'm half demon, what's my other name? Lust. But I'm not all bad. I fight for light, for goodness and truth. But people are starting to disappear and lately I've felt a dark presence lurking around me. I think it might be a death priest and that's really bad. This should have been easy, me killing fanged freaks, getting rid of my pesky priest problem, but I'm about to be betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust with my life and before the night is through I'll be covered in crimson... -Dark Urban FantasyINFLUENTIAL MAGIC by Deanna Chase Welcome to the Crescent City, the home of Willow Rhoswen, faery and magical baker extraordinaire. While fighting for her life, Willow is caught between two gorgeous men as she navigates the corruption of a powerful vampire organization and her own supernatural government agency.FAIRY TALES AND EVER AFTERS by Danielle MonschIf you like your fairy tales just a little twisted, this is the series for you! Three tales follow our fairy godmothers as they figure out ways to help the damsels - and mansels - in distress, all the while making sure every couple gets their happily ever after. MAGGIE FOR HIRE by Kate Danley When monsters appear on earth, Maggie MacKay is on the job. No one is better at hauling the creepy crawlies back where they belong… no one except her dad, who disappeared mysteriously in the middle of an assignment. When an elf named Killian shows up with a gig, Maggie finds herself at the center of a plot to turn the earth into a vampire playground. The only hope for survival is tracking down two missing statues and a secret that disappeared with Maggie's father.Warning: This book contains cussing, brawling, and unladylike behavior. Proceed with caution. STERLING (Mageri #1) by Dannika Dark Follow the journey of a young woman's claim to immortality and her own identity. Zoë Merrick's human life ends when she is brutally attacked by a Mage who gives her the gift of immortality. She soon discovers they are not magicians, but powerful beings who can manipulate energy. Justus De Gradi steps forward to act as her Ghuardian, teaching her how to fight to protect the light within her. Will she learn to accept her fate and trust those around her? Urban Fantasy Romance Series.

The Silver Spike


Glen Cook - 1989
    Defeated by the Lady and cast from this world, all that was left of him was a foul trace of lingering evil. But the graveyard that was once the Barrowland contains more secrets than dead. All who would possess the power of the Dominator are drawn to the spike. A foolhardy band of thieves is the first to reach it, and a rapacious and malign spirit is unleashed on an unwary world. The forces gather, sides are drawn, and mortal men can only die as the Dark Lords battle for domination.

First Dangle and Other Stories


Kevin Hearne - 2019
    That sets the pair off on a trail that leads from Granada, Spain, to London, England and then to Austin, Texas. Owen and Slomo will have to outwit an Irish goddess of wisdom, some nasty spriggans, and streak across the Kew Gardens to find the culprit. They're going to see the world after all—just not the way they thought."The Naughtiest Cherub" takes place directly before the events of Scourged, book 9. "The Waters" is narrated by Granuaile and takes place after the events of Scourged."Friendly Emily" is a piece of science fiction that appeared in Fireside magazine.

Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft


Jennifer HenshawJack McDevitt - 2015
    These visionary stories explore prediction science, quantum computing, real-time translation, machine learning, and much more. The authors used inside access to leading-edge work from Microsoft Research as inspiration, crafting pieces that predict the near-future of technology%mdash;and examine its complex relationship to our core humanity.Future Visions features contributions from: Elizabeth BearGreg BearDavid BrinNancy KressAnn LeckieJack McDevittSeanan McGuireRobert J. Sawyer…along with a short graphic novel by Blue Delliquanti and Michele Rosenthal, plus original illustrations by Joey Camacho.These are some of today’s most visionary creators—and they’ve joined together to give us a preview of tomorrow.

Target Rich Environment


Larry Correia - 2018
    The first short story collection from nationally best-selling author Larry Correia.Larry Correia, the New York Times best-selling author of the wildly popular Monster Hunter International and Grimnoir Chronicles series of no-holds-barred urban fantasy and the Dead Six trilogy of military adventure novels, now sets his sights on the short story form.Together for the first time, fourteen action-packed tales of demons, monster, vampires, and cosmic horrors too terrible to name--and the men and women who take them all down. Oh, and toss in an interdimensional insurance salesman for good measure.You'll also find: An elven princess from the pages of Monster Hunter International on a mission to redeem her people. A samurai pirate with a blood vendetta against an extremely large sea beast. And a magic-wielding P.I. who walks the mean streets of Detroit.Journey back to the origins of Monster Hunter International in "Bubba Shackleford's Professional Monster Hunters." Uncover the origin of one of Dead Six's central characters in "Sweothi City." And celebrate the holidays with the Grimnoir Chronicle's own Jake Sullivan in "Detroit Christmas."Discover why it always pays to hire the very best when it comes to fighting a war when Correia takes on David Drake's genre-defining Hammer's Slammers series. And find out just how much damage a vampire can do when he was a Green Beret before he became one of the undead as Correia tackles Jonathan Maberry's V Wars universe.Includes three stories never before in print! "Murder on the Orient Elite" and "The Adventures of Tom Strange, Interdimensional Insurance Salesman" have previously only been available in audio format (narrated by Adam Baldwin of Firefly fame). And "Blood on the Water" makes its first appearance.About Larry Correia and the Monster Hunter International series: "[E]verything I like in fantasy: intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and most of all people--gorgeously flawed human beings faced with horrible moral choices that force them to question and change and grow."--Jim Butcher on Son of the Black Sword"[A] no-holds-barred all-out page turner that is part science fiction, part horror, and an absolute blast to read."--Bookreporter.com"If you love monsters and action, you'll love this book. If you love guns, you'll love this book. If you love fantasy, and especially horror fantasy, you'll love this book."--Knotclan.com"A gun person who likes science fiction--or, heck, anyone who likes science fiction--will enjoy [these books] . . . The plotting is excellent, and Correia makes you care about the characters . . . I read both books without putting them down except for work . . . so whaddaya waitin' for? Go and buy some . . . for yourself and for stocking stuffers."--Massad Ayoob"This lighthearted, testosterone-soaked sequel to 2009's Monster Hunter International will delight fans of action horror with elaborate weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, disgusting monsters, and an endless stream of blood and body parts."--Publishers Weekly on Monster Hunter Vendetta

Many Bloody Returns


Charlaine HarrisJeanne C. Stein - 2007
     Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous-these all-new stories will ensure that readers never think of vampires (or birthdays) in quite the same way again. In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present. New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love. In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt. Plus ten more bloody good birthday stories that take the cake.Contents xi • Preface: A Few Words (Many Bloody Returns) • (2007) • essay by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner1 • Dracula Night • [Sookie Stackhouse 4.3] • shortstory by Charlaine Harris21 • The Mournful Cry of Owls • novelette by Christopher Golden50 • I Was a Teenage Vampire • novelette by Bill Crider73 • Twilight • [Women of the Otherworld Short Fiction 7.2] • novelette by Kelley Armstrong100 • It's My Birthday, Too • [The Dresden Files 9.2] • novella by Jim Butcher146 • Grave-Robbed • [Vampire Files] • novelette by P. N. Elrod176 • The First Day of the Rest of Your Life • [The Morganville Vampires: Extras 2.5] • novelette by Rachel Caine201 • The Witch and the Wicked • novelette by Jeanne C. Stein230 • Blood Wrapped • [Henry Fitzroy] • novelette by Tanya Huff254 • The Wish • shortstory by Carolyn Haines265 • Fire Ice and Linguini for Two • [Garnet Lacey 2.5] • novelette by Lyda Morehouse [as by Tate Hallaway ]290 • Vampire Hours • novelette by Elaine Viets318 • How Stella Got Her Grave Back • novelette by Toni L. P. Kelner

My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon


P.N. ElrodCaitlin Kittredge - 2007
    Elrod, Caitlin Kittredge, Marjorie M. Liu, Katie MacAlister, Lilith Saintcrow & Ronda Thompson.What newly married couple doesn't dream of a romantic retreat where they can escape the world for a while — but what happens when supernatural forces intrude on their wedded bliss? Nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors answer that question in this all-star collection of supernatural stories. Can a vampire-hunter enjoy her honeymoon after learning that her new hubby is a werewolf? How can newlyweds focus on their wedding night when their honeymoon suite is haunted by feuding ghosts? And what’s a wizard to do when a gruesome monster kidnaps the bride on her way home from the wedding? With so much otherworldly mayhem awaiting our newlyweds, will they ever get around to the honeymoon itself? Find out in...My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon.Contents:Stalked / Kelley Armstrong --Heorot / Jim Butcher --Roman holiday, or SPQ-arrrrrr / Rachel Caine --Her mother's daughter / P.N. Elrod --Newlydeads / Caitlin Kittredge --Where the heart lives / Marjorie M. Liu --Cat got your tongue? / Katie MacAlister --Half of being married / Lilith Saintcrow --A wulf in groom's clothing / Ronda Thompson.

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe


Douglas Adams - 1986
    It doesn't appear as a standalone work, but is included with several collections. The story is a prequel to the events in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and has the young Zaphod Beeblebrox working as a salvage ship operator. He guides some bureaucrats to a crashed spaceship which may be leaking some hazardous materials. The bureaucrats are determined to "make it safe". The comic asides in the story include some of the time travel paradoxes which are a common running theme in Adams' SF work, and plenty of material about lobsters

Shadowed Souls


Jim ButcherAnton Strout - 2016
    Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad...New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner...And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters .ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BYTanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *From the Trade Paperback edition.

Running with the Demon


Terry Brooks - 1997
    Now, in Running with the Demon, Brooks does nothing less than revitalize fantasy fiction again, inventing the complex and powerful new mythos of the Word and the Void, good versus evil still, but played out in the theater-in-the-round of the "real world" of our present. On the hottest Fourth of July weekend in decades, two men have come to Hopewell, Illinois, site of a lengthy, bitter steel strike. One is a demon, dark servant of the Void, who will use the anger and frustration of the community to attain a terrible secret goal. The other is John Ross, a Knight of the Word, a man who, while he sleeps, lives in the hell the world will become if he fails to change its course on waking. Ross has been given the ability to see the future. But does he have the power to change it?At stake is the soul of a fourteen-year-old girl mysteriously linked to both men. And the lives of the people of Hopewell. And the future of the country. This Fourth of July, while friends and families picnic in Sinnissippi Park and fireworks explode in celebration of freedom and independence, the fate of Humanity will be decided . . .A novel that weaves together family drama, fading innocence, cataclysm, and enlightenment, Running with the Demon will forever change the way you think about the fantasy novel. As believable as it is imaginative, as wondrous as it is frightening, it is a rich, exquisitely-written tale to be savored long after the last page is turned.

The Sea and Little Fishes


Terry Pratchett - 1998
    Novelette.This is the story of the time that Granny Weatherwax didn't win the Witch Trials and was nice about it, too. It was horrifying."It's not right! She's got no right to go around being cheerful at people!"Originally published in the collection Legends Vol. 3.

Strange Brew


P.N. ElrodJenna Maclaine - 2009
    In "Seeing Eye" by Patricia Briggs, a blind witch helps sexy werewolf Tom Franklin find his missing brother—and helps him in more ways than either of them ever suspected. And in Jim Butcher's "Last Call," wizard Harry Dresden takes on the darkest of dark powers—the ones who dare to mess with this favorite beer.For anyone who's ever wondered what lies beyond the limits of reality, who's imagined the secret spaces where witches wield fearsome magic, come and drink deep. Let yourself fall under the spell of this bewitching collection of short stories!

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures


Garth Nix - 2006
    Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover.Mister Fitz. Puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts now mostly and thankfully forgotten. Former nursemaid to Hereward.Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz. Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, charged with the location and removal of listed extra-dimensional entities, more commonly known as gods or godlets.Travellers. Adventurers. Godslayers . . .For the first time, the two award-winning novellas and a short story featuring Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz’s exploits are gathered together in a single volume. From the New York Times-bestselling writer Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen), Shade’s Children, The Seventh Tower series, The Keys to the Kingdom series and Troubletwisters (with Sean Williams).Reader Advisory: Though some of Garth Nix’s books and stories are for children, this one is not. It is for adult readers.

Dark and Stormy Knights


P.N. ElrodCarrie Vaughn - 2010
    1. A Questionable Client (Kate Daniels, #0.5) by Ilona Andrews: Kate Daniels guards shifter Saiman, less trustworthy than the enemy.2. Even Hand (Dresden Files, #11.6) by Jim Butcher: "Gentleman" John Marcone, Chicago's most dangerous crime lord, fights water demon with defenses against White Council wizard Harry Dresden. 3. The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher: Hereditary fighter faces monster that killed his father and town, with a little girl that attracts said monster. 4. Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine: Liesl trains the new Dragonslayer before she faces the last dragon.5. Dark Lady (Vampire Files, #12.75) by P.N. Elrod: Vampire nightclub owner Jack Fleming promises radio to resident ghost.6. Beknighted by Deidre Knight: Artist tries to free knight painted in real gold.7. Shifting Star (Signs of the Zodiac, #4.6) by Vicki Peterson: Skamar, Tibetan for star, newly created tulpa, fights another vicious male of Tulpa. 8. Rookwood & Mrs King by Lilith Saintcrow: Vampire private eye is hired by wife to kill the woman's vampire husband. 9. God's Creatures (Kitty Norville, #0.8) by Carrie Vaughn: Cormac follows a werewolf to convent school.

Red Death


P.N. Elrod - 1993
    His fate among the undead is sealed by the unnaturally beautiful Nora Jones, who seduces him and consumes his blood. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, he is no longer the same man, something he soon discovers upon his return to America to join the armed forces and defend his country. Rather than an appetite for traditional fare, he has developed a strange craving for human blood.