But Claire Emerson has a bigger problem. While her father prepares to reveal the mighty weapon he’s created to showcase the might of their province, St. Cloud, in the World’s Fair, Claire is crafting a plan to escape.Claire’s father is a sought-after inventor, but he believes his genius is a gift, granted to him by his daughter’s touch. He’s kept Claire under his control for years. As St. Cloud prepares for war, Claire plans to claim her life for herself, even as her best friend, Beatrix, tries to convince her to stay and help with the growing resistance movement that wants to see a woman on the throne. At any cost.When her father’s weapon fails to fire on the fair’s opening day, Claire is taken captive by Governor Remy Duchamp, St. Cloud’s young, untried ruler. Remy believes that Claire’s touch bestows graces he’s never had, and with his governing power weakening and many political rivals planning his demise, Claire might be his only and best ally. But the last thing that Claire has ever wanted is to be someone else’s muse. Still, affections can change as quickly as the winds of war. And Claire has a choice to make: Will she quietly remake her world from the shadows—or bring it down in flames?

    But he must convince her to save it...Ashe is one mission away from earning her soul. Nearly three centuries after her disastrous on-land escapade, the former mermaid has a final assignment: protect a marine biologist on his quest to save the oceans. Perhaps it's pure coincidence that Varun Zale is the descendant of the prince she once chose not to kill.Varun can't explain how storms obey Ashe or why her eye color changes to match the tossing waves, but he suspects she is more than the mute ship captain she pretends to be. His growing fascination leads him from the shallows of a fairy tale to the depths of a mystery older than recorded time. In the midnight reaches of the ocean, monstrous titans stir. An unstoppable disease becomes a weapon in the hands of the mer-king.Nothing Varun has ever imagined or believed about mermaids is true. And being wrong could cost him everything...

    But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire's inner workings.Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can't, millions may die.

    Find out What Lies Within each of these inspiring stories and watch as the characters learn to accept what makes them special. This collection features a series of fascinating short stories and excerpts for upcoming novels - all written by your favorite authors!M. SinclairL. StarfyreF. EastA.J. MaceyMelody CalderEverly TaylorLara G. ElmoreAshley AmyEileen TroemelPick up your copy today - all proceeds will be donated to Epilepsy Foundation!Contains +18 content.

    Five futures. Two worlds. One ending. One year from now, Dylan develops a sixth sense that allows him to glimpse another world. Ten years from now, Brixney must get more hits on her social media feed or risk being stuck in a debtors' colony. Thirty years from now, Epony scrubs her entire online profile from the web and goes “High Concept.” Sixty years from now, Reef struggles to survive in a city turned virtual gameboard. And more than a hundred years from now, Quinn uncovers the alarming secret that links them all. Five people, divided by time, will determine the fate of us all. These are stories of a world bent on destroying itself, and of the alternate world that might be its savior--unless it's too late.

    So when the opportunity of a lifetime came to become a mail order bride for a man from a female-lacking alien race, she jumped at the chance. Jumping into a marriage with a well-built seven foot tall was one thing. They might meet the technical requirements to get married, but would they be physically compatible — both in terms of chemistry and getting the massive Tab A into her smaller Slot B? And most of all, did she dare to risk her heart to that universal thing called love? Mail Order Bride: Alyssa is a short & spicy sci-fi romance in the Love Across the Universe series. It is a 11,000 word stand-alone story, perfect for reading at a trip to the park!

    Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.The kingdoms of Elsira and Lagrimar have been separated for centuries by the Mantle, a magical veil that has enforced a tremulous peace between the two lands. But now, the Mantle is cracking and the True Father, ruler of Lagrimar and the most powerful Earthsinger in the world, finally sees a way into Elsira to seize power.All Jasminda ever wanted was to live quietly on her farm, away from the prying eyes of those in the nearby town. Branded an outcast by the color of her skin and her gift of Earthsong, she’s been shunned all her life and has learned to steer clear from the townsfolk…until a group of Lagrimari soldiers wander into her valley with an Elsiran spy, believing they are still in Lagrimar.Through Jack, the spy, Jasminda learns that the Mantle is weakening, allowing people to slip through without notice. And even more troubling: Lagrimar is mobilizing, and if no one finds a way to restore the Mantle, it might be too late for Elsira. Their only hope lies in uncovering the secrets of the Queen Who Sleeps and Jasminda’s Earthsong is the key to unravel them.Thrust into a hostile society and a world she doesn’t know, Jasminda and Jack race to unveil an ancient mystery that might offer salvation.Per Author: Special Earthsinger Edition is nearly 40K words longer than the original, hardcover edition and expands the storyline of an existing character but also brings you brand new characters and action. Jack and Jasminda's story is the same, but I hope you'll love Ella and Benn just as much!

    Of course it did fit a pattern of not being able to decide what she wanted to do with her life since grammar school. In college she had tried a variety of subjects, played sports, and partied, excelling at each, but she had graduated as undecided as she had been in grammar school. And the Ad, interview, and current speaker made the training sound like hard work and the job dangerous. But they had dangled two worms in front of her: the chance to see the lives of the rich and powerful up close and to protect important people. And she could quit if she decided it wasn’t what she was looking for—whatever that was. To everyone’s astonishment, can't-make-up-her-mind and party-girl Kate Mathis survives the training, makes agent, enjoys her job, and finds something she loves—outmaneuvering the terrorists.

    It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make rent.No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the more expensive—and the greater the improvement.When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them.There’s no question the Gold is worth millions, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.

    A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe.When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia—a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything.As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns there is something more to her than just deadly force. She finds a humanity truer than what she encounters from most humans. Amidst all the danger, action, and intrigue, her humanity just might be the thing that saves her life—and the empire.

    Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today: Ellen Hopkins Amanda Hocking Julie Kagawa Claudia Gray Rachel Hawkins Kimberly Derting Myra McEntire Malinda Lo Sarah Rees-Brennan Jackson Pearce Christine Johnson Jeri Smith Ready Shaun David Hutchinson Saundra Mitchell Sonia Gensler Tessa Gratton Jon Skrovon

    People like Rainbow Williams. Rain isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she’s looking forward to it. If she can just outrun her pain until April 23, she’ll never have to feel it at all. “Supplies. Shelter. Self-defense.”Wes Parker has survived every horrible thing this life has thrown at him with nothing more than his resourcefulness and disarming good looks. Why should the end of the world be any different? All he needs are some basic supplies, shelter, and a sucker willing to help him out, which is exactly what he finds when he returns to his hometown of Franklin Springs.As society crumbles, dangers mount, and secrets refuse to stay buried, two lost souls are thrust together in a twist of fate—one who will do anything to survive and one who can’t wait to die. Perhaps, together, they can learn how to live.Before their time runs out.

    Not gonna lie, it doesn’t look great. Rescued by an alien. Not sure how to feel about this? He’s kinda hot, with his massive blue body, his feline eyes and towering horns… okay, scratch that. He’s super hot. But, he’s also an alien. So there’s that. And he’s Santa. Wait what? EMMA Chasing a lead got me snowed in, hundreds of miles away from home in my beat-up old car. I close my eyes for a brief second to ward off the cold, and I awake to find myself in a luxurious cabin, cared for by a gorgeous alien male. He sternly forbids me from leaving my room. What else can I do but disobey? What I discover shocks me to my very core. A workshop. Reindeer. Flipping elves. The broad-chested alien hunk is no-one other than Santa himself. And now that I know his secret… he’s never letting me go. NIKOLAX Interfering with humanity is strictly forbidden by the Council. I break that rule once a year on the 25th of December. I try to spread a little joy, and bring a smile to the faces of those who need it the most. And then I find Emma, cold and alone, and I break every rule there is. For she is the one, my mate, my everything. I can feel it in my horns. There's only one problem... if the Council knows she's at my workshop, they will hunt us down to the edge of the galaxy. Can I keep her my secret? And is true love worth risking the wrath of the galaxy's most dangerous entity? THE ALIEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a standalone story, HEA guaranteed! Enjoy!

    The galactic military is blockading the system to contain the mysteriously virulent blight. The planetary government impounded his ship. Even worse, his uncontrolled mental talent for empathy means the colonists' fear and anger are threatening his sanity.When government supply depot manager Anitra Helden finds a mothballed interstellar freighter in an abandoned repair dock, she hopes to use it carry supplies the colonists will need when they finally get to leave. Given the planet-wide turmoil, the only person she trusts to repair the ship is Gavril, her ex-lover.Gavril seizes the opportunity to get his ship back and repair their broken past. Anitra will have to trust him with more than her heart, she'll have to trust him with secret plans to break the blockade.Everything changes when they learn 4,000 colonists are stranded. Can Gavril and Anitra pull off the rescue, outmaneuver the military fleet, and win their second chance at love?Last Ship Off Polaris-G starts the sweeping saga of the Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like characters trying to do the right thing, interstellar intrigue, and second-chance romance, you'll enjoy Carol Van Natta's fast-paced adventure.★ Buy Last Ship Off Polaris-G and escape with Gavril and Anitra today! ★

    She was never supposed to be the One. It is 1988 and Lilly, a shy high school senior with a non-existent social life, is forced to live out her romantic fantasies through the fictional characters of her books. That all changes when she issues a spur of the moment invitation to the strange new kid.The world Charlie comes from is much different than Earth. Almost every aspect of a Sentrian's life is under complete government control. There is only one right the intrusive authorities may not violate: that God chooses your soul mate. While on his planet, Charlie never found his One, so when he develops an attraction to Lilly, he is torn. Should he ignore his feelings for the Earthan, or pursue a doomed relationship with the only girl he has ever cared about? His contact with Lilly does not go unnoticed. Involvement with an Earthan is considered blasphemy, and Charlie is condemned as a criminal of the state. The couple is faced with a difficult choice: accept eternal separation or risk everything to stay together.