I mean staggeringly beautiful, men falling at your feet with hopeless adoration as they gaze upon you dumbfounded. That beautiful. I could become that beautiful if I chose, but only with a steep price. Would you pay the price? Does that call to your heart? It doesn’t call to mine. Yes, when I look at the girl in the mirror, I see a young woman of average height and slight build. I see her lovely emerald green eyes and I see her coarse, orange hair poking out in all directions like some unnatural haystack. I see the forty-seven warts that line her face, which accompany one large lump and two small boils. You’d probably think that I would be more than eager to trade for the great gift of beauty because I know some, if not all of you, would call me hideous. But I don’t think of myself as ugly. I think of myself as powerful, strong and fierce – for I have magical powers – powers that amaze and terrify me at times. And today is the most important day of my life, because today my mother will say the words over me and seal my fate. For I, Olive, am the last of the Winnowwood and this is my story. Based on the award winning screenplay of the same name, The Ugly Princess will take you on an amazing adventure filled with twists, turns and an ending that will take your breath away because it is also a love story of the most unusual, magical kind. “In the tradition of The Princess Bride (with somewhat less whimsy) and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Smith’s debut is a fairy tale in a new world…. The twists along this charming road make for an enchanting journey.” -- Kirkus Reviews --

    These are ten tales, much neglected. Editor of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine, Kate Wolford, introduces and annotates each tale in a manner that won't leave novices of fairy tale studies lost in the woods to grandmother's house, yet with a depth of research and a delight in posing intriguing puzzles that will cause folklorists and savvy readers to find this collection a delicious new delicacy.Beyond the Glass Slipper is about more than just reading fairy tales—it's about connecting to them. It's about thinking of the fairy tale as a precursor to Saturday Night Live as much as it is to any princess-movie franchise: the tales within these pages abound with outrageous spectacle and absurdist vignettes, ripe with humor that pokes fun at ourselves and our society.Never stuffy or pedantic, Kate Wolford proves she's the college professor you always wish you had: smart, nurturing, and plugged into pop culture. Wolford invites us into a discussion of how these tales fit into our modern cinematic lives and connect the larger body of fairy tales, then asks—no, insists—that we create our own theories and connections. A thinking man's first step into an ocean of little known folklore.

    When Doc, their mentor, went missing, the five teenaged heroes did their best to make the world a better place, stumbling from adventure to adventure without an overall strategy.The general public seems to be cheering them on, but a shadowy government agency lurking in the background, wants to round them up and force them to play by their rules. And they aren't going to take no for an answer — even if it means making an example of the young heroes. Meanwhile, a bigger threat, an escaped experiment who spreads sickness wherever he goes, is working his way toward the City to meet the Indestructibles head on, blaming them for what he has become. With Doc Silence gone, Fury apparently missing, and the Dancer slipping away into her own silent brand of vigilanteism, will Solar be able to hold her team together in the face of this looming threat? And who is the mysterious, neon-pink haired stranger who keeps appearing and then disappearing like an illusion on the Indestructibles' flying base? The Indestructibles have become a national sensation — but will they survive the fame? Please tune into the sequel The Indestructibles: Breakout to find out for sure.

    “My…heart?”“He wants you dead, and he will stop at nothing. You have to go.” When she hesitated, the assassin roared, “Go!”*An heiress on the run.A heartbroken Amish man, sleep-walking through life.Can true love's kiss break the spell?After his wife dies and he returns to his Amish community, Dominic feels numb and frozen, like he's under a spell. When he rescues a woman from an exploding car wreck in a snowstorm, he brings her home to his mother and six younger siblings. They care for her while she sleeps for several days, and when she wakes up in a panic, she pretends to have amnesia.But waking up is only the beginning of Snow's story. Snow's real name is Adriana Daniels, and in order to protect herself and her niece from a dangerous relative, she must keep her true identity a secret from Dominic and his family. So, she pretends to have amnesia, hiding out within the Amish community, lying to everyone--especially Dominic.Dominic's sister Damaris is set on convincing him to court her best friend Margaret so he stays with them in the Amish community, but Dominic’s mother sees how Snow has brought light back into Dominic’s eyes once again, and how she makes him laugh. As Adriana and Dominic grow closer, she feels more guilty with each passing day about lying, especially after they took her in when she was a stranger.But time is running out, and Adriana’s niece needs her now more than ever.Can Adriana trust Dominic with her secret, even if it means he’d risk losing everything to help them? Though Dominic pulls Snow from the wreckage, Snow is the one who rescues him. Amish Snow White is a HEA standalone novella in the Amish Fairytale Series.

    To save their home from an unspeakable darkness, Reiyalindis, Vaelon, and their new allies form an unlikely band of adventurers who must put their prejudices aside to battle the evil confronting them. With shocking discoveries, bursts of humor, and danger around every corner, Reiyalindis is a thrilling fantasy, full of suspense, that will keep you guessing to the very last page.

    Queen Ruby & Princess Snow: This mixed-up fairytale is an original short story. It has no ties to any of my fairy tale adaptations; however, for a similar tale, check ouy "The Unicorn Procession" in the freebies section of my website.Before the Bond: This short story is set centuries before the events of Red Rope of Fate and gives you a glimpse of how the humans of Calnor and the Lesser Elves of Lessa became allies.

    On the dawn of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, two snipers find themselves fighting a battle all their own. One is a backwoods hunter from the Appalachian Mountains in the American South, while the other is the dreaded German “Ghost Sniper” who earned his nickname on the Eastern Front. Locked in a deadly duel across the hedgerow country of France, the hunter matches wits and tactics against the marksman, both of them one bullet away from victory—or defeat—as Allied forces struggle to gain a foothold in Europe.

    . . her.Nessa Donati used to be a happily married mother with a successful music blog and satellite radio show. But that was before her husband John relapsed on drugs and went missing. That was before he was presumed dead. And before she was framed for his murder.When a commenter on Nessa’s blog starts harassing her online, Nessa shrugs it off. Trolls are a part of internet life. But eventually the troll begins threatening her safety and releasing personal details . . . details only her husband would know.As Nessa’s life is dismantled piece by piece, her only option is to find John and put a stop to the lies. But when their son becomes a pawn in his twisted game, she must face a disturbing truth: Maybe John isn’t tormenting her, after all. But if he’s not . . . who is? And how far will this monster go to exact revenge?

    When a flying saucer crashes into his fishing hole, Jimmy tries to use the stranded survivors to jump-start his TV career. This first contact isn't accidental though. The Galactic Pool's saddest excuse for a politician has committed sabotage while plotting to rule Earth. And he's about to find out what happens when you mess with Earthlings.*81,000 words with a courteous 0.0149% F-word rate*There are sex scenes, but they are strictly telepathic. (sorry)

    But when she sees a stranger shivering in the snow outside of the college library, an inexplicable urge leads her to buy him a hot cup of coffee. It's just a small act of kindness, a few words of conversation. Brynn should be focusing on her finals, after all, not on the man who looked up at her gratefully with piercing blue eyes. He could have been anyone - a janitor on break, a graduate student, a bum. But the man standing outside in the cold turns out to be Dr. Eliot Herceg, one of the most brilliant minds in mathematics and heir to a fortune. After years of reclusive isolation, he now finds his heart awakening to the kind girl whose name he does not know. Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot's deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?

    But she is a young woman on the brink of a whole new life when, in a moment of defiance, she forgets that warning and triggers a catastrophe that shatters all her hopes.Stricken with grief and seeking a way to correct her terrible mistake, Catrin risks everything on a dangerous bargain. Too late, she realizes just how much more she has to lose.With advice from a half-mad witch and help from companions she meets along the way, Catrin embarks on a desperate quest to defeat seven riddling Magpies--magical tricksters who can shapeshift into anything or anyone--and win back her book or face losing everything she holds dear.With each step the stakes get higher, and there are secrets she still doesn't suspect. How much is Catrin willing to sacrifice to finally unmask the Seventh Magpie?A dark fairy tale of loss and renewal.

    L. Shields, the pseudonym of New York Times bestselling author Stephen L. Carter. Each story is fast-paced and intricate, with the clock ticking as the protagonist battles malevolent forces. Harry Stean is an architect who designs traditional church buildings and cathedrals around the world. A former believer but now an agnostic, he is also an expert on the historical use of symbols in Christianity; that special knowledge is the key to each of the stories. Each of the novels revolves around a centuries-old struggle between believers and a shadowy organization known simply as The Garden, which has devoted itself, working entirely in secret, to the destruction of the faith. Manipulating events from behind the scenes, the Garden has devoted itself patiently over the centuries to what it calls 'snakebites'---causing tiny scandals here and there, enough to shake people's faith just a little, hoping, as time passes, that the cumulative effect of its work will bring an end to belief.

    What does? The man in her village who won't take no for an answer. So when a monster in the woods imprisons her father, Belle is easily convinced to take his place. Things at the castle aren't exactly the fairy tale she thought they would be, including disgruntled servants who are less than happy that she's there, naughty library books that magically appear in her room, and a vengeful enchantress determined to finish the job she started. The Beast It's been a decade since he was cursed, unable to leave the castle, but his servants can come and go as they like. Even if they aren't exactly themselves anymore. And worse? It's all his fault – his foolish decisions that cost them their humanity, his family their lives and his kingdom its ruler. So when a beautiful girl falls into his lap, he does his best to scare her away, no matter how bad it makes him look. Why? Because he knows that whoever did this isn't done yet, and there are more dangers in his corner of the woods than Belle knows. When worst comes to worst, and it looks like they're about to lose everything, can Belle and her Beast learn to trust each other enough to find their happily ever after?

    . . Amateur boxer turned executive Joe Robbins moves his family to Austin, Texas, to join a startup and get rich. At his first company party, Joe witnesses a young woman commit suicide. She leaves no note . . . no motive . . . and the image haunts his dreams.But the company is busy writing software and making sales and everyone is going to get rich! Employees careen around Austin like bats.When the market crashes, the company falls apart, and the paper riches evaporate. Then a director is found murdered, and the police figure Joe for a prime suspect. Two more executives are murdered, and Joe might be next.Forced into the role of an amateur detective, Joe falls back on what he knows: facts, logic, and analysis. If the going gets rough, he’ll use his fists. Whatever the approach, he’d better work fast because he’s facing a long stay in prison or a short trip to the morgue.

    These three family men happily live the typical suburban family life-their only real problems have been with each other and the draconian rules of the HOA. That all changes when the dead rise from their graves and walk the Earth. Now they must reluctantly join together to survive the spreading apocalypse and find their families. Personal fears, long buried secrets and their own personalities threaten to tear the group apart as they make their way across the zombie ridden landscape in Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies. This Zomnibus collects Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies Monday - The Weekend.