Vicki had spent the intermission backstage, chatting with two of her favorite singers who would soon grace the stage once more as the booming baritone Magnifico and his daughter Angelina, a dazzling soprano whose career had reached new heights during these ten, high-profile New York performances.Vicki couldn’t conceal her delight at the absolutely full house. “I guess the new marketing firm really hit one out of the park,” she commented quietly to Martin as the lights dimmed. “All ten performances are sold out!”Her lawyer friend smiled. “It’s the inspired leadership they’ve been getting,” he replied. “New blood, new ideas. It’s just magnificent.” The maestro appeared at the edge of the orchestra pit and received enthusiastic applause. “Although even I would admit that Rossini’s genius might have something to do with it,” Martin said, raising his voice over the audience’s appreciation. “Still, you’ve broken the glass ceiling yet again, I would say. Bravo, Miss Vydra.”“You’re too kind,” she said, patting his hand as the strings stirred in a quiet but ominous tremolo, quickly ushering in a sudden and violent orchestral tutti, brassy and loud, which filled the huge auditorium with the dark ferocity of the storm it depicted. Vicki let the eruption pass through her, finding herself carried by its torrential force, allowing the moment to fill her with an awed respect for nature’s power. She knew that it could not last, and the audience was soon deposited kindly into the peaceful meadow of the storm’s passing. Horn calls signaled the all-clear and, as one can always expect from Rossini, the good humor and delicate, social fun-poking resumed.***Content warning: For adults only!***

    Scott Burgess comes a new episodic ebook series that reimagines and redefines the zombie apocalypse genre. In the near future, the world has died. With no warning, all technology and communication have inexplicably shut down and zombies have begun to rise. They feed on the living, pulling more to their ranks as they spread at an impossible rate. But hope survives, as a small band of survivors work together to escape from Southern California in hopes of finding sanctuary from this zombie infested world. Their goal is to find some remnants of civilization but the farther they venture, the more they become aware that the world as they know it has been forever lost. What they don’t realize is that there are things hiding in the shadows, things that are far worse than zombies. Dead Solstice is the first episode in the series. It follows the story of Dean Gothurd as he wakes up into a zombie infested world and finds that he must work with his friends to find safety from the hungry horde of zombies. (15,057 words)

    We're small and easy-going with a lot of community pride and camaraderie. What we don't have a lot of is crime. A close-knit laid-back little borough, so close to the southern border of Pennsylvania we're almost in West Virginia. Townsfolk like to say: "We're south enough to lend credence to our slight drawl, but sufficiently north of the Mason-Dixon to be 'damn Yankees'." None of us were prepared for murder ... especially involving a teenager.

     56 – The number of hours I’ve spent looking at Caden Dean without his knowledge. 98 – The number of times Caden Dean has humiliated me in front of our town. 5.5 – The number of seconds it took for me to make the call that ruined his life. 145 – The number of ways he’s promised to make my body pay for all the sins I’ve committed against him. 102 – The number of various kinds of pleasure I never knew existed before his touch. UNKNOWN – The number of time left before he destroys me for good. They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. I’d settle for a thread. CADEN 125 – The number of ways Winter Grove makes me sick. 156 – The number of times I’ve caught Winter Grove looking at me when she thought I didn’t notice. 200 Million – The amount of money in my family’s bank account. TOO MANY TO COUNT – The number of women desperate to get into my bed. 8 – The number of months a man has been in a coma because of me. 180 – The number of days I’ve spent behind bars thanks to Winter Grove’s big mouth. UNKNOWN – The number of ways I’m going to use her mind and body to cleanse all the sins she’s committed against me. They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. I might believe them if I knew what the f**k love was. TREMBLE IS AN ENEMIES TO LOVERS DARK ROMANCE. THIS ADDITION INCLUDES A BONUS MC READ!

    He isn’t like the academic elite, the geeky students who get all the grades and are adored by their teachers. He isn’t like the extroverts, the socially adept and popular kids who never want for anything and always have a shoulder to cry on. And he isn’t like the bullies, the ones who taunt and beat him on a daily basis. Herman isn’t like any of his peers, or indeed anyone he knows. The person Herman identifies with the most, the person he idolizes and yearns to be, is The Butcher, a brutal and prolific serial killer.Following yet another beating by the kids he despises at a school he hates, Herman returns home to his inconspicuous existence with his solitary, silent, and coldhearted father. But life for Herman is about to change. The shackles that have held him to mediocrity and anonymity are about to be broken. Not only does Herman discover his father has died, but on further examination, he also discovers his dad was The Butcher, the very man whom everyone had feared and whom he had worshipped.Life had been cruel to his father and death had been cruel to his legend, but Herman decides that he will carry on his father’s work. He may not have his father’s experience, but with a little practice, Herman knows he can become the man in the shadows, the thing that everyone fears.Now, if only Homicide Detective Lester Keats would just leave him be. . . .

    If you ask Evangeline Hollis, "good" is in short supply, "ugly" might be amusing, but "bad" is most definitely her business. Eve is a Mark, a heavenly bounty hunter, and Las Vegas is her territory.

    But when a demon murders his brother, Caleb knows he has to avenge Ben’s death, no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, his only allies belong to an extremist group who would kill Caleb if they found out about his talent.Gray is a wandering spirit, summoned to hunt and destroy demons by drinking their blood. This hunt goes horribly wrong, and for the first time in his existence Gray is trapped in a living, human body. Caleb’s body…and Caleb is still in it.Hotshot federal agent John Starkweather thinks he’s seen it all. But when he’s called to exorcise Caleb, he finds a creature which isn’t supposed to exist outside of stories. For Gray is a drakul: a vampire.Having spent his life avoiding the government as an unregistered ‘mal, Caleb can’t let himself trust a federal exorcist, no matter how sexy. And he certainly isn’t going to give into the heat growing between them and sleep with Starkweather.Can Starkweather win Caleb’s trust and convince him he isn’t the enemy? Can Caleb keep Gray under control, as the drakul experiences the temptation of a living body for the first time?Because if he fails and Gray gives in to bloodlust, Starkweather will have no choice but to kill them both.Novella: 33,643 words

    As the favorite nephew of the Devil, Frank has led a troubled life, but he'd always had his uncle's influence to fall back on. Now, with God and Lucifer coming to terms and leaving existence to fend for itself, his once exalted status of Anti-Christ-to-be does little to endear him to the hordes of angels and demons running amok in the Godless world. With help from the members of DRAC, an organization of wizards, psychics, telepaths, and low-end supernatural beings, Frank must thwart the pro-Armageddon forces and rescue an angel in whose life rests the fate of humanity. Better luck next time, humanity.

     Paws, Claws & Aww's is a collection of steamy paranormal romance stories hot enough to melt your digital reader. Powerful, sexy, protective and romantic - this collection of stand-alones and series starters is full of sexy, paranormal, Alpha male shifters, witches and mage's to scratch your itch and make you howl! Featuring: Alana Hart - Saving Her Bear (The Bears of Blackrock #1) Never go home again! That's what Mom said - and stay away from that Fenn boy! How could Catherine Calhoun listen when that 'Fenn boy' has haunted her mind - and heart - for ten years? When Catherine finds herself in trouble, it's not the town of Blackrock or the family she left behind so long ago that calls her back. It's him. It's that Fenn boy. The boy whose kisses are her happiest memory. Yet, John Fenn has secrets - the kind that come with sharp claws and teeth. Even a bit of fur couldn't lessen the magic of his kisses, but there is darkness in Blackrock - the very thing that once tore her away from her true love. Will her return be enough to save John from becoming that darkness' next victim? Julia Leijon - Grizzly Guardian Still reeling from her sister's murder, Merryl retreats to Oregon with her nephew Sam. Building a new life for the pair of them is almost enough to distract her from her grief, especially when she faces the problem of how to help Sam learn what it is to be a bear shifter. With nowhere else to turn and no idea what to do, Merryl turns to her impossibly sexy and unattainable crush, Daniel. Daniel just wants to enjoy small town life after a violent past, but if anyone can see through his gruff facade and battle scars, it's Merryl. Helping Sam discover the cub side of his nature helps Daniel rediscover what it means to connect with those around him. For the sake of Merryl and Sam, Daniel will even return to his harrowing FBI work to help solve the murder and find them some peace. Despite a strong mutual attraction between them, a major obstacle blocks their way, and it's one that Daniel can never let Merryl know about: while his human side wants to support her as a friend while she puts her life back together, the bear in him knows with absolute certainty that he has found his fated mate. Knowing how many emotional burdens Merryl is already coping with, Daniel carries this heavy secret alone. But can Merryl convince him that she's tougher than he thinks, and can make her own choices? After each enduring so much cruelty and hardship at the hands of an unkind world, are the two of them still capable of love and trust? Liv Brywood - Midwinter Night's Alpha (Sexy BBW Pagan Holidays #6) His wickedly sexy tongue explored every inch of her trembling lips. Katelyn knows that returning to West Yellowstone for this year's centennial Yule celebration is probably a huge mistake. But after being gone for five years, she misses her old coven. It should be easy enough to avoid her ex-boyfriend, Devin. After all, werewolves usually hibernate during the winter. So when the BBW witch runs into him not five minutes after getting into town, she's convinced she's cursed. She knows better than to trust his rugged good looks and washboard abs. His silver-tipped tongue has ruined her life once before, and she refuses to make the same mistake twice... even if he does look hotter than a gushing geyser. Emma Alisyn - Alphonso's Baby (Clan Conroy Brides #2) Bear shifter Alphonso shunned his mate to protect her from his dark past... but when he discovers her six month old baby is his, will he take the risk in order to raise their child? Always looking over his shoulder for enemies, Alphonso pushed curvy Tamar away after their one, blazing hot night together. "I'm not relationship material, Tam. Don't get stars in your eyes." Only that one night resulted in a secret child, a beautiful baby girl Tamar has been hiding in plain sight for six months. Waiting patiently for him to see the goshdarnit light already. When he discovers her deception, Alphonso knows he has a choice to make. Continue to allow his past to dictate his future, or take a chance on true love and family? Tamar isn't certain her childhood love Al will ever see reason- she knows he did some bad stuff. Especially when that bad stuff shows up in the form of a curvy, exotic ex-girlfriend looking for protection. Tamar isn't going to roll over and play dead, though. She's Head Sow in these parts and no one - not the mysterious beauty, not her father's disapproval, and certainly not the enemies waiting in the shadows to strike - are going to claim what belongs to her without a bloody fight. Terra Wolf - Leaping Through Time (Soul Mate Bureau #2) William has the money to find his mate, but does he have the time... The crazy, old witch says she can send the wealthy, leopard shifter back in time to meet his mate, for a hefty fee. He'll have one week to find her or lose her forever. In a foreign land and a foreign place where his money is useless, he'll need his own wits and animal instincts to find the woman of his dreams. Constance is a woman in a man's world... She makes armour for the gladiators in a world where the men are men and the women are their objects. Constance has long since given up on love when just getting through a gruelling day is challenging enough. When the gorgeous, but wild eyed and crazy, fool in the silly clothes tells her stories of whisking her away to a future of leisure and money, all in exchange for one night of mating, she can't help but want him to not be lying. Another suitor pursues William and isn't willing to share... The beautiful and wealthy Fiona tries to distract William off the trail of his fated mate with her womanly ways and won't take no for an answer. When William is forced to unleash his leopard to try survive, Constance realises that she's unknowingly craved a man like him all along. Will the two of them have enough to survive the past, escape to William's present, and show Constance a future she never thought possible? Tina Talon - Bad Boy Wolf Joshua is a love 'em and leave 'em type of fellow. That is until he bumps into Meagan and everything changes. Meagan isn't used to shifter men and their lustful appetites and stormy tempers, but falls for Joshua anyhow. Can the two of them make a go of it, despite everything that could keep them apart? Christy Rivers - Real Men Are Bears After catching her boyfriend with another woman in their bed, Jess Perkins is blind with rage. The only thing she can think of doing is to take a long drive through the Washington wilderness. Eventually, she finds herself in the small town of Douglas, where the only place that's open is Uncle Ray's Bar and Grill. Jess, a struggling alcoholic, knows she shouldn't stop where temptation lurks. But there's no harm in walking in and ordering a harmless little burger... Thomas Hannity grew up listening to stories about fated mates, but he knows they're only fairy tales. His last relationship was with a human, and it ended badly. When he unexpectedly runs into his ex at work, it sends him into a spiral, and the only balm for his ache is a nice, strong drink at his favourite bar. It's a night just like any other... until a curvy, dark-haired girl wanders in from the cold. A girl that Thomas feels the sudden need to protect the moment he sets eyes on her. She's an independent city girl with a dark past. He's a bear shifter who no longer believes in love. Logically, they make no sense together. But destiny often isn't logical at all. Kellan Larkin - Alpha's Soulmate (Alphas' Fated Mates #1) M/M Gay Shifter Mpreg Romance He took my chin and pressed his lips to mine. Bliss overwhelmed me. This was utterly divine. Tucker's an Omega wolf recovering from a traumatic past. He ran away to Lake City to pursue his passion for journalism. While he knows it's also time to find his Alpha, he's distrustful and wary of emotional intimacy. That changes when he meets Clay. After a broken engagement with an ex-fiancé who stalked and threatened him, Clay buried himself in his work, founding a successful tech company. Now he's ready to move on and find his fated mate. But it turns out his ex isn't quite ready to let him go... When demons from the past threaten to disrupt the pair's growing relationship, Tucker and Clay find that they'll have to fight for their love. We’re going to start off fresh and build something together. We can do this, Tucker. You and me. Tessa Thorn - Dating The Billionaire Dragon (Mail Order Mates #1) "So, you’re the kind of lady who isn’t afraid to find out what a dragon’s like in the bedroom, huh?" Tina Valdez is the curvaceous, successful owner of a boutique bakery and a respected member of her community. There's just one thing missing - a man to share it all with. That changes when she meets real estate tycoon Blake through the shifter dating service Mail Order Mates. Blake the dragon shifter is sweet, sexy, and dominant in the bedroom. And he treats her like the goddess she is. But when anti-shifter prejudice threatens her business, she has to make a hard decision. Can she have it all? Or will she have to choose between her home and heritage and the promise of a new future with Blake? J.S. Wilder - Beared To Him (HoneyPoint Town #1) This is Part one of a Three Part series about HoneyPoint Town. Raine Wilson wants one thing: marriage. Her ex comes back into town after a mutual friend dies and after finally moving on with her life after six years. She finds it hard not to resist temptation to fall for the one that broke her heart. Joe Carlton wants one thing: to avoid his true form. Having to go back home after six years. He can’t resist but show his true form when he sees the luscious curves and earthy brown skin of his mate in the arms of another man. There’s a war coming to HoneyPoint Town and none of the locals know it until Joe starts to fight for the love he once lost. Erica Summers - The Dark Mage's Girlfriend What do you do when your crush turns out to be a Dark Wizard, summoner and binder of demons? Amy works at a supermarket while studying for college. One normal day, she finally gets her chance to ask her crush and neighbour out. She runs after him just as her shift ends. But, in a narrow street, a surprise awaits. The dreamy, aloof man who comes to the shop everyday, whenever she works, turns out to be a mage, and a dark one at that. Can Amy find love or will she be swallowed by his darkness? Kit Fawkes - Playing With Fire (Elementals #1) Curvy fire elemental witch Serafina’s hot temper gets the best of her, leading her to make a mistake during a vengeance spell that accidentally summons a high-level demon to do her bidding instead. Liam appears to help her undo what she’s done, and she’s drawn to the mysterious Guardian of the balance between light and dark magic. He’s intent on tracking down the demon, but her heart isn’t in stopping the vengeance curse just yet. Their attraction is mutual, but will Serafina and Liam find a way to make their relationship work, or will it flash and burn out after the mission binding him to her is complete, and he no longer has a reason to stay?

    It could be the depression or the hallucinations, or it could be the little black creature that crawls in his window at night. Whatever the case, it is becoming a problem.The debut novel from Joshua S. Porter is a dark, comic and moving story of self-realization in a contemporary moral free zone.

    I'd walked into the wrong room and he mistook me for someone else But the last thing I wanted to do was correct him... not when I never knew submission could feel so good. When her friend suggests they attend the Haven Fetish Ball to help lift her mood after her divorce, senior partner Sofia Mason has no idea what the night will hold – certainly not the masked Dominant who now commands her to strip off her clothes and position herself in front of the bed for a spanking. She's never even been spanked before. But even as her mind rebels and tells her to leave, Sofia's body has a mind of its own. It complies to everything the mysterious Dom commands as he pushes her to the edge again and again. And before their session is over, she's begging for more. But will he grant Sofia her wish?

    Vanessa Roth, CEO of her own advertising firm, is about to get the shock of her life; her husband of eight years has left her for another woman. As a result, Anna, her niece and only friend provides her with a healthy distraction. However, six weeks of Burlesque lessons is the last thing Vanessa saw coming as a gift for her fortieth birthday. Ultimately, she accepts the challenge against her better judgment and gets a lot more than she ever bargained for. The Spice of Life is a heartwarming, humorous and inspiring novel about love, friendship, self-discovery, and letting go.

    She can see ghosts and she helps them with any unfinished business. In this first story, Lottie’s dad brings a dollhouse into the family store. A ghost is attached to it. It doesn’t take Lottie long to connect with the ghost, but when she does, her heart fills with sadness. This is going to be a difficult case for Lottie, but she is determined to help the ghost.

    She has time to write and time to heal her recently broken heart. The cabin sits on the property of Red Guile, incredibly hot neighbor, builder and Alpha werewolf of a pack closed to outsiders until Red changed the rules. Now he has curvaceous BBW Harper living next door and their attraction is undeniable. But it was no coincidence Millie sent Harper to Hot Springs. The town holds a history for the Finch family and a dark secret. This 8500+ word story is part one in a hot new werewolf erotic romance series from Emily Cantore. It contains explicit descriptions of sexual activity between a curvy bbw girl and a sexy werewolf alpha. Intended only for mature audiences 18+! EXCERPT: He came back over to the table and looked like he was about to sit down when I suddenly decided to wash the dishes and take a break from the crazy thoughts that were thrumming through my mind. I knew, somehow, that if he sat down that I'd be kissing him a moment later. "I'll wash up! The cook doesn't wash." Even to my own ears I sounded a little crazy. I bolted up and went to go by him but the gap between him and the table was too small. I turned away from him and brushed across him as I shuffled by. It wasn't intentional. Was it? I made it to the sink and turned the hot water on before gripping the cold metal like it was a lifeline. I'd felt his body as I passed him. The strength of him. Those were the rules, right? The cook doesn't wash. I was just washing the dishes as a quick thank you and then ... and then I'd get the hell out of here before I blushed to death. Red hadn't spoken at my sudden rush for the sink. Staring down at the plates and the running water, I could feel him standing behind me. I hadn't heard him move but I knew he was there. I looked up from the sink into the reflection. Red was standing behind me, his eyes glinting golden in the light. Our eyes met and all thoughts of keeping it platonic evaporated out of my head. My body must have been one step ahead of me. I felt my hips tilt, just a few inches, but it was enough. I moved my foot and arched my back. Just small movements. Completely innocent.

    She needed a real man. Then they meet... Erik - Balancing a demanding job with college and taking care of a kid leaves Erik exhausted and stressed. So much, that even that hot coworker told him he needed to get laid. When Krista showed up at his door to babysit, he didn't realize yet just how much pressure she'll take off him... Krista - Single life in college is tough when no guy seems good enough. Until she meets Erik - the hot man in her building she used to watch from afar. She's only supposed to watch his kid, but when she sees him naked, she can't help but want more... Taking the Babysitter is a standalone short story featuring an older man (31) and a younger woman (19), fast-paced and full of suspense and action that you can't help but devour it in one sitting. No cheating and a happy end with satisfaction guarantee. Taking the Babysitter is part 1 in the Babysitter Romance series.