But Sasha is not interested, especially when she finds out the guy in question is a lead singer in a band. She has one rule for her dating life and that is no musicians. She knows relationships with them can only end badly.Jesse is persistent in getting Sasha’s attention, always being charming, genuine and there for her to lean on – emotionally and physically after she breaks her foot. Sasha isn’t sure she can continue to deflect his advances, and isn’t sure she wants to.

    Plagued with constant black outs and a trail of dead bodies in his wake, Blake thinks vampire Elise is his best chance at ending the nightmare. It's just too bad he's fallen in love with the gorgeous vamp right before he has to die.

    But at night she became Eris Apparent, sex goddess of the blogosphere, where she could express her true self in sizzling erotic fantasies. As Eve she entertained aching, unfulfilled fancies about her sexy co-worker. But as Eris Apparent she was outspoken and demanding as she carried on a steamy cyberspace affair with the mysterious "Tell_me."

    Previously difficult for readers to discover in its new modes, urban fantasy is represented here in all three of its distinct styles—playful new mythologies, sexy paranormal romances, and gritty urban noir. Whether they feature tattooed demon-hunters, angst-ridden vampires, supernatural gumshoes, or pixelated pixies, these authors—including Patricia Briggs, Neil Gaiman, and Charles de Lint—mash-up traditional fare with pop culture, creating iconic characters, conflicted moralities, and complex settings. The result is starkly original fiction that has broad-based appeal and is immensely entertaining.ContentsIntroduction by Peter S. Beagle Mythic FictionIntroduction: “A Personal Journey Into Mythic Fiction” by Charles de Lint “A Bird That Whistles” by Emma Bull“Make a Joyful Noise” by Charles de Lint“The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories” by Neil Gaiman“On the Road to New Egypt” by Jeffrey Ford“Julie’s Unicorn” by Peter S. BeagleParanormal RomanceIntroduction: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Urban Fantasy” by Paula Guran “Companions to the Moon” by Charles de Lint“A Haunted House of Her Own” by Kelley Armstrong“She’s My Witch” by Norman Partridge“Kitty’s Zombie New Year” by Carrie Vaughn“Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs“Hit” by Bruce McAllister “Boobs” by Suzy McKee Charnas “Farewell, My Zombie” by Francesca Lia BlockNoir FantasyIntroduction: “We Are Not a Club, but We Sometimes Share a Room” by Joe R. Lansdale “The White Man” by Thomas M. Disch“Gestella” by Susan Palwick“The Coldest Girl in Coldtown” by Holly Black“Talking Back to the Moon” by Steven R. Boyett“On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks” by Joe R. Lansdale“The Bible Repairman” by Tim Powers“Father Dear” by Al Sarrantonio

    Penned by New York Times and award winning authors, some stories in this exclusive collection will make you laugh out loud while others will force you to sleep with the lights on.Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong Cynical, bad girl PI Julie Collins isn’t the hearts and flowers type, especially not after she’s spent the last few weeks spying on cheating spouses. So when Julie suspects her man, Martinez, may be stepping out on her, she sees red and decides to take matters into her own hands. Let’s just hope Cupid’s Bow gets to Martinez before Julie does.Above Reproach by Allison BrennanSex crimes detective Selena Black knows high-powered government attorney Greg Keller is the River City Rapist; proving it is another matter. Keller enjoys the cat and mouse game with the blonde detective, and makes sure she knows she’s exactly his type. As every possible avenue of investigation is shut down by the courts or her boss, Selena realizes that if someone doesn’t do something to stop Keller, more women will suffer–and she may be next.The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie BrownWhat is CIA contract assassin Donna Stone’s idea of a Valentine’s Day getaway? Certainly not orchestrating a jailbreak out of a Mexican prison for a notorious drug lord. But because he has intel as to the whereabouts of an international terrorist organization planning a Valentine’s massacre, there will be no intimate dinner for two or couples massage for Donna and her ops leader, Jack Craig. Just plenty of sun, surf, submarines, sharks… oh yeah, and sex.Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee CauseyBobbie Faye Sumrall, Cajun Contraband Days Queen, gun expert, and ultimate professional in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, absolutely positively does not want to go through with the ridiculous wedding that Trevor’s forcing her to agree to, but she soon finds out she has more important things to worry about–like surviving the plot to make her disappear when she’s set up as a fall guy for the theft of a priceless religious icon. And that’s the good news.Blood and Roses by Sylvia DayWhen insurance investigator Anastasia Miller sets out to retrieve the rose-hued pink diamonds stolen in a recent heist, she finds herself working alongside former flame, deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Monroe — the man she loved enough to leave behind.Nightfall by Laura GriffinStranded on an icy road as darkness falls, Holly Henriksen knows she is in trouble. A charming stranger stops to help and Holly decides to trust him, but soon finds out he is harboring a deadly secret.King of Hearts (A Rough Rider Short Story) by Lorelei JamesDeputy Cam McKay is devastated after dealing with a Valentine’s Day murder/suicide in his small county. Will allowing his family to see the dark past that haunts him, help heal him?A Punishing Night by Sophie LittlefieldDetective Joe Bashir returns to his alma mater to investigate the stabbing death of a male college student. Rumors of date rape and fraternity hazing complicate a sensitive case as Joe tries to balance the demands of the investigation with caring for his elderly father. Help – and possibly romance – come from an unexpected source.Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. ClaireBenjamin Youngblood’s only chance to prove he’s worthy of being a Bullet Catcher is to find and stop an assassin. On probation from the elite security force, Ben has to rely on instinct and brains…and one feisty flower farmer. When Callie Parrish discovers her entire crop of rare black roses has been stolen, she’d partner with the devil himself to recoup her loss. It doesn’t take her long to realize she’s done just that…and the road to hell is paved with poisonous petals and deadly kisses.Rebel Rose by Karin TabkeFor Detective Cash Cantrell, hunting down a University serial killer is as routine as strapping on his gun each morning. Until he comes face to face with meddlesome coed, Rebel Yell Culpepper. He doesn’t know if he should arrest her or kiss her, but one thing Cash knows for sure, Rebel is key to finding the murderer, and the killer knows it too…

    They've been in love with the second grade, but Shelby's father is determined to keep his daughter in Sweetness, not moving around the country as a soldier's wife. No matter what she chooses, Shelby knows she'll hurt one of the men she loves.But when a tornado rips through town, will she and Emory lose their chance to be together forever?Get ready to fall in love with the town of Sweetness, Georgia, in this prequel to Stephanie Bond's Southern Roads trilogy.

    Years later, they've climbed so high and lost so much, but one thing hasn't changed. The attraction that simmered between them in a locker room before is still there. With success like theirs, everything has been possible... except them.That was then.But what about now?*Hoops Holiday Collection consists of FULL-COURT PRESS, a HOOPS novella originally published in the TEAM PLAYER Anthology. It has been expanded with all-new, never-before-published content & epilogue.It also includes Christmas-themed short stories for characters from LONG SHOT and BLOCK SHOT, books 1 and 2 of the series.

    My father is dead. And his business, my legacy, the corporate empire that is Dyson Media- has been projecting a false strength. Stock prices are strong, but under misogynistic management, the company is crumbling. True to form, I won’t be allowed to inherit, to fix this, until I marry. That’s when Donovan Kincaid walks into my life with an idea- and a man- I never saw coming.

    He searched for her for months, but even with his considerable resources, with only her first name to go on, he’d been unsuccessful. Now, six years later, Damien is speechless when he finds Jemma by chance on a farm in the rolling hills of the Virginia countryside. The woman he has sought for so long, and yet she won’t come with him now? But Damien won’t give up so easily. Damien’s appearance after so many years rocks Jemma’s comfortable, if simple existence. He has never left her memory either - how could he with such a visible reminder? Her son - their son - Dylan is now a precocious five, and the light of her life. Although Damien didn’t recognize him, Jemma feels honor bound to tell him about his son. But how will he react? Will he try to take Dylan away?

    The life she’d always wanted as a child—a loving mother and financial security. But another “incident” had has led to Jake’s expulsion from his second daycare center in two weeks, and now her accounting job with a high profile commercial firm is on the line. Soon Emma wishes losing her job was her only worry when it becomes evident that someone is not only watching her, but is determined to make contact with her son, forcing her to make the biggest decision of her life.

    But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone . . . if perfect is even possible. In PICTURE PERFECT, Gemma has never done anything out of the ordinary, until her boyfriend Randy starts to ignore her. But even cutting and dyeing her hair doesn’t get his attention. She decides to join her old high school friends for spring vacation, only to be faced with Drew, her best friend who suddenly seems interested in her as more than a friend. Gemma must determine if her heart is on the rebound or if it’s finally met its true match.

    As soon as they meet they know they won’t get along. However, for the sake of their TV show they agree to put their differences aside, but it’s not as easy as they think. For one, there’s the unexplainable physical attraction they can’t seem to shake. And for two, everything out of their mouths seems to rub the other the wrong way. Leanne wonders how she can be attracted to such a careless, narcissistic playboy. Callum wonders why he can’t get a girl who dresses like a boy out of his head. Before long their attraction becomes a temptation neither one of them can resist. Air Kiss is a prequel novella to Off the Air, Book #1 in the “Running on Air” Series.

    Vampire Andrea Mercer is literally dug up by an old crush, Daniel Harris, and during a trip to Minnesota to see the vampire queen, her desire for him reignites.Originally published in the anthology Cravings .

    Tara shows him a raw passion and honesty he’s never encountered. For the first time, Rick wants more than one night, but he needs to catch her first... Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to get beyond her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, but is she ready to get caught? What’s your secret desire for one perfect night? Welcome to the mysterious FANTA-C agency where everything, and anything goes…

    Now she’s determined to be a yes girl. Yes, she’d love to flat sit while the owner is away, but one look at the mess and she wishes she’d said no.No is the last thing Tristan expects to hear when he proposes in front of his girlfriend’s family. Humiliated, he hides out in his brother’s empty flat without asking because he really doesn't want to hear another no.What he needs is a woman who’ll say yes...yes...yes... Could that be Zadie?