There are typical vampires who would be right at home in a horror story or a gothic romance; historical vampires; contemporary, gritty, urban vampires; fang-in-cheek comedy; boy-meets-girl sweetheart stories (if a little bloodier!); and erotic tales of inhuman passions and midnight pleasures. Look out, too, for stand-alone stories relating to existing series and characters of contributing authors, or stories which develop more fully characters who have only walk-on parts in those authors' longer fiction. Includes writing by big-name authors such as Jennifer Ashley, Kim Harrison writing as Dawn Cook, Caitlin Kittredge, Diane Whiteside and Eileen Wilks.

    To catch a notorious bank robber, he seeks out the man's sometimes-mistress Maddy Colby. He poses as a handyman and waits. As he waits, he gets to know Maddy, who is nothing like he expected. Every day he finds her harder to resist, until a snowstorm strands them alone in the cabin. Then Rhys needs to decide, is getting his man worth losing his woman?

    Happily ever after? Not so much. Evan and Annie are deeply in love, but that hasn’t stopped tension from creating cracks in their relationship. Determined not to fail his wife, Evan takes action before those cracks become craters, damaging their marriage irreparably. Over the Fourth of July weekend, he’ll reignite Annie’s passion with his own brand of fireworks.Stand back and watch the sparks fly. *Break out the fireworks and get ready to kick off your summer with this HOT new collection of stories. Sparks Fly is part of the Red Hot and BOOM! multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment) Sparks Fly is a 12K word short story.

    They Have the Power To Hold You Spellbound, To Captivate Your Senses, and to Keep You Forever in Their Control. Forever enthralled... #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds...as a spirited female Wolf Breed finally meets her match, and can no longer deny her mate - or the fierce desires of her own heart.New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan...and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family's curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.New York Times bestselling author Meljean Brook delivers a new story in her steampunk world of the Iron Seas...as a man who's lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure - his wife.And Lucy Monroe, national bestselling author of the Children of the Moon novels, unleashes the feral passions of a werewolf on the body, mind, and soul of his prey, his lover, his mate."The Devil’s Due” by Lora Leigh“The Curse of the Black Swan” by Alyssa Day“Salvage” by Meljean Brook"Ecstasy Under the Moon” by Lucy Monroe

    Annie's domain was home and hearth, and her dying put a hole in his day-to-day rancher lifestyle--far beyond the one she left in his heart.But his heart is only one of his problems when ten-year-old Callie rebels. Missing her mom and unsure how her life is unfolding, Callie pushes back at every turn and John doesn't know how to help her. Then his friend, Buck McGinnis, introduces him to Abby Cooper. Buck thinks John should seek the counsel of a woman for advice dealing with a moody pre-teen female. Suddenly, life becomes even more complicated.The Parker Ranches, Inc. series launches with this short novella, The Rancher's Second Chance, establishing the patriarch of the family, John Rankin, and his second chance at love and healing his family. **** The Parker Ranches, Inc. series is a contemporary western romance series written by award-winning and bestselling romance author Maddie James.Linked by strong family relationships, these stories take place in multiple ranch settings across Montana, South Dakota, Texas, and Kentucky. The Parker and Rankin families--Montana ranchers for generations--anchor the series and provide the foundation for stories to come. As families grow, forming new ranch partnerships, you'll also meet the South Dakota MacKay and the Texas/Kentucky Remington families.Parker Ranches, Inc. books are first and foremost romance stories with happily-ever-after endings. Some are sweet, most are steamy, and a few are erotic. These novels and novellas always feature cowboy heroes and the women who love them--often with complicated relationships and external challenges that require time and attention to sort out.Welcome to Rankin's Rock Creek Ranch.

    Instead, the matriarch makes Lauren a scandalous offer to marry her son in name only. Lauren has strong feelings for him but are they strong enough?

    And when their world touches ours, a primitive desire takes hold, leaving mere mortals powerless in its wake...Four of romance's most intriguing authors have come together to create a mesmerizing anthology--unforgettable tales of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. At the heart of these deeply sensual tales are everyday people facing extraordinary events--men and women thrown together by fate and an irresistible desire. In this world, your eyes can betray you as myth becomes reality, curses are vanquished, and love is the only weapon that can stand in the face of evil. In this world, there is a moment when passion and forbidden desire collide at the... Stroke of Midnight.Winter Born by Sherrilyn KenyonTwo enemy Were-Panthers discover that fate has destined they become lovers. Pandora must learn to trust Dante's foreign nature. But as she slowly succumbs to the truest passion she has ever known, dark forces have already set out to reclaim her... NOTE: This story has been re-released in the Dark Bites anthologyBorn of the Night by Amanda AshleyWhen Lady Shanara Montiori is taken hostage, she learns that the rumors about her captor are true. Lord Reyes is afflicted with the dark curse of the werewolf. Still, Shanara can't fight the attraction they both feel. Will their love break the curse-or feed its powerful hold?Make It Last Forever by L. A. BanksAn innocent mistake forces the beautiful Tara onto a mission to save herself from the dark fate that awaits her. Salvation comes in the form of a seductive biker with a heart of gold. But will surrendering to their ripe attraction unleash a danger even she cannot control?Red Moon Rising by Lori HandelandNovelist Maya Alexander's peace is shattered when she is stalked by a Navaho skinwalker who has taken on the guise of a wolf. Her only hope is the mysterious Clay Philips. In his arms, she seeks protection-but as the red moon rises, no one is safe from the danger that lurks nearby...

    A lucky first kiss in front of a Las Vegas slot machine pays off big for bull rider Boone Hancock and college student Gigi Colberg-Staub.*~*~*~*A NAUGHTY NOELLEThe 19th Precinct, Book 1.5Ann BruceWhen injured vice cop Sergio Ramirez accepts Noelle Mason’s offer to help him, she has no idea the danger she faces, most of it from her desire to share her bed with him.*~*~*~*HOLIDAY SURPRISE: UNWRAPPEDAliyah Burke Recuperating in wintery Massachusetts, Heath Dixon gives cold-hating Kassia Green something much hotter to focus on. But can he keep her after Christmas? Like…forever?*~*~*~*CHRISTMAS ANGELOpal CarewGiven one chance to break the curse which has held Angelique in its grip for two hundred years, she is faced with a heart-rending decision. Can she sacrifice Nick's happiness for her own freedom?*~*~*~*A HIGHLANDER FOR THE HOLIDAYSDawn HallidayIn the wintery Highland mountains, Aileen and Niall unleash their forbidden passion. But Aileen is promised to another this Christmas, and the wicked Lowlander will stop at nothing to have her.*~*~*~*ILLICIT CHRISTMASYvette HinesEven during the holidays a woman can have one reckless night that will change her life forever...especially when the man she was with is determined to prove they belong together.*~*~*~*HER XMAS PRESENTChristin LovellAfter being apart from each other for a year, Libby and Tyler realize their feelings for one another are more than platonic. Are they willing to risk years of friendship on a chance at love?*~*~*~*ALL SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMASPaige TylerHayley Knowles has always fantasized about getting spanked by her husband, Conner. But how can she possibly ever get her husband to do it, especially since she’s too shy to tell him? This is the holiday season, though, so maybe Hayley might get exactly what she wants for Christmas!*~*~*~*

    Now all three must join forces and make their escape, or die trying. Reissue.

     One taste…is all it takes to fall in love. Insatiable – When longtime best friends become lovers, anything can happen. A wild madcap romance through New York City, a quickie in the rain on a hotel balcony…even tragedy. Suspended – He's the stepbrother she never knew. Forced proximity turns strangers into oh so much more. Traveling together cross-country to settle a will has never been so hot...or so complicated. Virgin Territory – After a convenience store robbery, a clerk and her womanizing crush discover that co-writing a spicy story might not only be a profitable partnership…it might lead to life imitating art. Uncross Your Heart – He’s her delivery guy. She’s the seemingly uptight customer he can’t forget. But the guy she almost didn't notice might be the only one who can help her remember how good it feels to lose control...

    and discovers a helping hand from a charming, handsome spirit.Ruth Ryan Langan's "Falcon's Lair"Once upon a time...With the help of a meddling sorceress, a brave young princess sets out to save her kingdom--and wins the heart of a dashing warrior along the way.Marianne Willman's "Dragonspell"

    But is he mortal? Or is he an ancient god, a sorcerer, or a mythical beast who can possess a woman's heart...and her very soul?Four of romance's most popular authors have created this spellbinding collection of stores filled with dark passion and desire. Under the cover of darkness, their heroes inhabit worlds haunted by ageless hungers and deadly forces stronger than any seen by day...and vanquished only by the power of love.Now travel into realms where dazzling wonders roam the night, where magic replaces reason, and where a kiss unleashes a raging fire in the blood. And here, if you dare, discover the seduction that begins at the bewitching hour when a man and woman partake in...Midnight Pleasures.Darkfest by Amanda AshleyThe price of saving her dying mother is Channa's promise to spend a year at the castle of tormented nobleman, Lord Darkfest...to obey him as his servant or, as his secrets are revealed, to become his salvation. And her own.Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn KenyonHaunted by recurring nightmares of terrifying beasts, Erin McDaniels is afraid to sleep-until a hero arrives in her dreams to save her...and makes erotic, incredible love to her. But can she find him again when she is awake?NOTE: This story has been re-released in the Dark Bites anthologyUnder Her Spell by Maggie ShayneA consultant for a TV series about one gorgeous witch, "white witch" Melissa St. Cloud plans to make the show authentic. But once on the set she is pulled into the arms of a man who opens up a doorway to the darkside and chilling peril.A Wulf's Curse by Ronda ThompsonRunning away from an arranged marriage, Elise steals aboard a wagon in a traveling circus and finds herself in the bed of the Beast Master, Sterling Wulf, who is something other than he seems...and suddenly all Elise desires.

    A Lady's Quest by Bonnie HamreIn A Lady's Quest, author Bonnie Hamre brings you a London historical where Lady Antonia Blair-Sutworth searches for a lover in a way that is sure to shock and please the reader. 2. The Spinner's Dream by Alice GainesThe Spinner's Dream weaves a seductive fantasy that will leave every woman wishing for her own private love slave, desperate and running for his life. 3. The Gift by Jeanie LegendreWith The Gift you are immersed in the historic tale of exotic seduction and bondage of a concubine's surrender to the Sultan's desires. 4. The Proposal by Ivy LandonTake a read on the wild side of love. The Proposal will taunt you, tease you, and shock you. A contemporary erotica for the adventurous woman.

    And somehow, young Vaden managed to be ever in his way-either by accident or because of her own unique ability to stumble into a quandary.Yet the enigmatic Ransom Lake would involuntarily become Vaden's unwitting tutor. Through him, she would experience joy and passion the like even Vaden had never imagined. Yes, Vaden Valmont stepped innocently, yet irrevocably, into love with the secretive, seemingly callous man-Ransom Lake.But there were other life's lessons Ransom Lake would inadvertently convey to her as well. The darker side of life-despair, guilt, heartache. Would Ransom Lake be the means of Vaden's dreams come true? Or the cause of her complete desolation?

    This historical romantic comedy is rated G.