Felicity, a young librarian, is certain her only adventures will come in the form of the books she reads. When her uncle reveals that the palace librarians have the secret gift of interpreting fairy tales, stories that control the fate of the kingdom, she is thrust into a new world of magic. Between rescuing Cinderella, charming a prince, and battling an evil force trying to sabotage the fairy tale, Felicity realizes orchestrating a happily ever after ending is going to take all of her wits. However, it’s her heart that is put to the real test. She finds herself having to choose between her own happy ending or protecting the fairy tale she’s been tasked with completing. After the clock strikes midnight, Felicity discovers her world will change forever and some fates are stronger than magic.

    A three-inch tall samurai faces a giant iron ogre with only a sewing needle and a coin. A scientist seeks an antidote to his formula gone wrong, with the help of his partner’s beautiful daughter. All of these stories and more are included in Steampunk Fairy Tales. Written by authors from three different continents, every enchanting tale combines the futuristic Victorian concept of steam and fashion with memorable stories, from the recognizable “Jack and the Beanstalk”, to other popular and unfamiliar works from Germany, France, Italy and Japan. With steam driven gadgets such as mechanical goggles, hoverboards, and an orchestra of automatons. Steampunk Fairy Tales is a charming and unique collection of works for current lovers of the genre, and those just diving in.

    It is our duty to warn you—do not trust the masks alone.”In Venesia, your mask is your life. It is your face, your rank, and your identity. Without a mask, you are nothing. Which makes the Chameleon the most dangerous criminal in the land. When the Chameleon attacks the talented mask maker Evie, he not only strips away Evie’s mask, destroys her home, and kills her father, but he also brands her face with his own criminal mark that would incriminate her for his wrongdoings should it be discovered. Her only choice is to go into hiding—at the royal palace. But as she creates a new identity —and plans to exact revenge— Evie soon learns that masks hide more than just faces ...Unmask the secrets that Venesia holds in this unique and romantic spin on the classic tale of Cinderella.

    The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—pretty, smart, and, worst of all, nice—stepsister is dating the charming, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine?Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her online. The school mean girl has made it her mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister is the most popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret crush, Jake Kingston.Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against Jake.Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie's going to rule the school.And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.This is a new release of an edition originally published by Fire & Ice Books.

    For years she’s labored to complete her apprenticeship and become a pastry chef. Driven from her home once before, she’s willing to endure whatever it takes to keep her position in the palace kitchens of Northhelm. But when she finally has a chance for all her dreams to come true, everything goes wrong. In danger of losing both her future as a pastry chef, and the man she’s loved for years, Hanna will have to decide if she’s ready to fight for herself, as well as for Stefan. The Coronation Ball is a novelette of approximately 15,000 words that follows Hans’s sister after she flees Rangmere to build a life in Northhelm. It is an expanded version of a short story previously titled The Pastry Chef's Apprentice, published in the anthology Happily Ever Afters.If you enjoy clean romance, adventure and intrigue, then try the books in The Four Kingdoms series now! Each of these young adult fairy tale retellings can be read as a standalone story. However, for greatest enjoyment, they should be read in order.The Four Kingdoms Reading Order: The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (Book One) The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (Book Two) The Coronation Ball: A Four Kingdoms Cinderella Novelette Happily Every Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red (Novella) The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (Book Three) A Midwinter's Wedding: A Retelling of The Frog Prince (Novella) The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (Book Four) The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (Book Five)

    And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

    Ella had sworn to watch over her father and care for him. But then her father had married anew. Her stepmother and two stepsisters took sharp delight in causing Ella grief from morn to eve. They bullied her, called her Cinderella, and treated her as little more than a slave in her own home. It took all of Ella's courage to swallow the insults and to honor her word. Now the crown prince had returned home from the battlefront, and a ball was announced to celebrate his arrival. All eligible young women from the entire kingdom were invited to attend. Ella had but one desire left. To see the king's gardens one last time before she fled home. It would be a final way to commemorate her beloved mother before considering her vow's terms to be complete. She had no idea what waited her on that arched stone bridge ... * * * Cinderella - A Retelling with Strength and Courage is Book 1 of a gently cliff-hangered short story series. The series honors the original intention of the Grimm Fairy Tales - to present women of strength and courage tackling challenges which seemed insurmountable. With each new book a new heroine is interwoven into the story. The series sequence leads up to a happily ever after ending. The series is clean romance and is suitable for teens and up. Half of all author's proceeds benefit battered women's shelters. I publish my books one at a time to get feedback and suggestions as I go. If you prefer to read your stories complete, you are welcome to wait until the sequence is complete and then buy the box set. Either way, you support the cause! I have been working on these stories for many years. As fairy tales are so integral to so many young girls' lives, it was critical for me to do my very best to present each heroine in a way which honored her strength and showcased her ability to stand on her own. I feel strongly that no woman should ever sit around waiting for a man to "rescue" them. They should not endure abusive behavior in the hopes that a man will change or magically become that prince. Be the change you wish to see in the world. I have a library of over 300 books running the gamut from medieval romance to cozy mystery, from mythology to fairy tale to Biblical retellings. Most of my series benefit battered women's shelters. Please contact me with any questions!

    The body count that preempted it was not. Once an illustrious princess, her hands and tentacles were stained with the blood of thousands. No one could comprehend how the hooks of madness dragged her down from her life of privilege. Born Princess Vanessa of Atlantica, the ambitious young royal was one of two children born to the great King Poseidon. She and her brother, Triton, were groomed from birth to rule. Yet only one would ascend that coveted throne. While carefree Triton flits through his training with a cavalier demeanor and beguiling charm, Vanessa’s hunger for her father’s acceptance drives her to push herself to the limits of magic, and combat to become a leader worthy of her people. When war against the humans ravages their once regal kingdom, political sides are chosen. Factions from the seven seas challenge the existing leadership, pitting Vanessa against her brother in a vicious battle for the crown. Traitors are exposed, dark family secrets revealed, and a once strong sibling bond is strained to its breaking point. Only when the ink black waters from the ultimate betrayal rescind, will the truth be known of how the villainous sea witch rose with one name on her vengeful lips--Triton.

    The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. With a hundred men to choose between and her wedding planned, all she has to do is pick one. But love can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places and at the most inconvenient of times. Cynder knows about the impending war between the people of magic and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he's a staunch supporter of equal rights for his own kind, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for. When the two meet, sparks fly and not just the magical kind... Charm is the first in the Reverse Fairytale series by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.

    Oh, not everything, I suppose. Yes, I turned a pumpkin into a coach and mice into horses. The stroke of midnight, the glass slippers, and the prince searching for a girl whose foot fit the shoe…those were all part of the story. And yet, the prince didn’t just fall in love with Cinderella because she looked good at the ball. Pigeon feathers and pollywogs! Could you respect him if he did? I most certainly could not. No, no, there was vastly more that happened before the night of the ball, and a great deal of international intrigue after. Cinderella was a warrior who saved the life of the prince and defended her kingdom from oppressors who were plotting to overthrow the king. They didn’t tell you that part? It’s time, past time, for you to know the true story of the real Cinderella.

    . . or happily ever after.Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince... and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.Gabriel likes his fiancee, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him. Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble... Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune... Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

     Born on a Dakota Sioux reservation he was taught the ways of the Native Americans from as soon as he could walk. At the tender age of fourteen, having had little formal education, he was supporting himself and learning from some of the last cowboys and frontiersmen of the Old West. These lessons would pay dividend in his later life, first as a tracker for the United States Army in the Apache Wars and later as a scout for the British Army in the Matebele Wars in Southern Africa. Frederick Burnham Russell was a remarkable figure who revolutionized the art of scouting in both the British and United States armies. Indeed his influence would lead his friend, Robert Baden-Powell, to begin the international Scouting Movement. In Scouting on Two Continents Burnham records the details of his brilliant life in fascinating detail and provides insight into the life of an unique adventurer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. “Burnham in real life is more interesting than any of my heroes of romance.” Rider Haggard “Burnham is a most delightful companion ... amusing, interesting, and most instructive. Having seen service against the Red Indians he brings quite a new experience to bear on the Scouting work here. And while he talks away there’s not a thing escapes his quick roving eye, whether it is on the horizon or at his feet.” Robert Baden-Powell Frederick Burnham Russell has been described as the “Father of Scouting.” He fought in the Pleasant Valley War, Apache Wars, the First and Second Matabele Wars as well as the Second Boer War. His book Scouting on Two Continents was first published in 1926. He passed away in 1947.