And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims' necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count's feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike... Edited and introduced by acclaimed anthologist John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead), By Blood We Live gathers together the best vampire literature from the preceding three decades, authored by many of today's most renowned writers of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror. Contents: (Author, title (type, year of first publication, beginning page in print edition))01 - Neil Gaiman, Snow, Glass, Apples (short story, 1995, p3)02 - Anne Rice, The Master of Rampling Gate (novelette, 1984, p13)03 - Harry Turtledove, Under St. Peter's (novelette, 2007, p33)04 - Tad Williams, Child of an Ancient City (novelette, 1988, p43)05 - Michael A. Burstein, Lifeblood (novelette, 2003, p75)06 - Barbara Roden, Endless Night (short story, 2008, p88)07 - Garth Nix, Infestation (novelette, 2008, p106)08 - Carrie Vaughn, Life Is the Teacher (short story, 2008, p120)09 - Nancy Kilpatrick, The Vechi Barbat (short story, 2007, p134)10 - Kristine Kathryn Rusch, The Beautiful, The Damned (short story, 1995, p148) 11 - David Wellington, Pinecones (short story, 2006, p161)12 - Norman Partridge, Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu (novelette, 1994, p165)13 - Sergei Lukyanenko, Foxtrot at High Noon (short story, 2008, p180)14 - Michael Marshall Smith, This Is Now (short story, 2004, p189)15 - Nancy Holder, Blood Gothic (short story, 1985, p199)16 - Jane Yolen, Mama Gone (short story, 1991, p204)17 - Joe Hill, Abraham's Boys (short story, 2004, p209)18 - Tanith Lee, Nunc Dimittis (novelette, 1983, p224)19 - Gabriela Lee, Hunger (short story, 2007, p240)20 - Caitlín R. Kiernan, Ode to Edvard Munch (short story, 2006, p250)21 - L.A. Banks, Finders Keepers (short story, 2008, p256)22 - Brian Stableford, After the Stone Age (short story, 2004, p275)23 - Kevin J. Anderson, Much at Stake (short story, 1991, p286)24 - Elizabeth Bear, House of the Rising Sun (short story, 2005, p297)25 - Lilith Saintcrow, A Stand-Up Dame (short story, 2008, p302)26 - Kelley Armstrong, Twilight (novelette, 2007, p316)27 - Eric Van Lustbader, In Darkness, Angels (novelette, 1983, p333)28 - Barbara Hambly, Sunrise on Running Water (novelette, 2007, p355)29 - Bruce McAllister, Hit (short story, 2008, p372)30 - Ken MacLeod, Undead Again (short story, 2005, p385)31 - Robert J. Sawyer, Peking Man (short story, 1996, p388)32 - Ben Lumley, Necros (short story, 1986, p396)33 - Catherynne M. Valente, Exsanguinations: A Handbook for the Educated Vampire by Anna S. Oppenhagen-Petrescu (short story, 2005, p409)34 - Charles Coleman Finlay, Lucy, In Her Splendor (short story, 2003, p415)35 - John Langan, The Wide, Carnivorous Sky (short story, 2009, p426)36 - Stephen King, One for the Road (short story, 1977, p464)37 - Ross E. Lockhart, For Further Reading (By Blood We Live) (essay, 2008, p477)

    Cara I am trying to make it on my own in the world. But I can't get Chase out of my head, and I’m not sure I want to. After Chase defends Cara from a sleazy customer at her waitress job, their mutual longing explodes into life, and the two of them can no longer ignore their feelings for each other. A romance with an alpha male, a virgin, and HEA. The Billionaire Biker’s Virgin Nicole My fiancé cheated on me with my best friend. I decide to take the honeymoon anyway, without the groom of course. When my reservation is given away, Kane steps in to save me. I never knew what passion or love felt like… until Kane. Kane I am a billionaire… and a biker. I live life on my terms. I collect businesses and women almost like trophies…. until Nicole. After Kane breaks through her defenses, they discover a love that survives hurdles and misunderstandings. A short story romance with an alpha tattooed biker, a virgin, and HEA. DON’T HIDE FROM ME Cassie I’m a simple woman. I have dated a few men; nothing to exciting. I am a twenty-four-year-old virgin. No, I’m not saving it for marriage. But I am saving it for someone that will make it good. Van I am a tattooed, biker that has been around the block. I love women and never settle for just one. Until I find the brown-eyed virgin that is mine for the taking. Van and Cassie fall in lust at first sight from across the room. One thinks it is a one-night stand, one isn’t so sure. Join Van and Cassie in their story of a first-time romance that becomes more. A short story romance with an alpha tattooed biker, a virgin, and HEA. This is a standalone novella. Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances. There is almost always an alpha male (because who doesn’t love an alpha male) and a woman he makes his queen. Sit back, grab a glass of wine, and get lost in this happily ever after story – that’s also a little naughty.

    Levine's heroes travel dark and dangerous paths as they confront devilish and powerful villains. The journeys are by land, by sea, and in one case, perhaps only in the mind. In "El Valiente en el Infierno," (The Brave One in Hell), a 13-year-old Mexican boy tells his own story as he makes a treacherous midnight crossing into California in search of his father. The boy's courage is tested when he runs into two gun-toting American vigilantes, and the confrontation will change all of them forever. "Development Hell" imagines a pitch session in which a bedraggled Edgar Allan Poe squares off with a slick Hollywood producer who wants to make a cheesy slasher flick out of "The Pit and the Pendulum."Bookgasm praised the story as "going straight to the funny bone." In "A Hell of a Crime," a prosecutor prepares for a homicide trial while being pestered by his domineering mother, a famous lawyer herself. Just what role did she play in the murder? And how is the prosecutor's enigmatic wife involved in the case? Two of the author's best-loved characters, mismatched law partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, appear in "Solomon & Lord: To Hell and Back."  Steve says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz, a sleazy con man. Victoria knows that Cruz is an unlikely fishing buddy. So just what is Steve up to now? Something between mischief and murder.The book also contains an excerpt from "Solomon vs. Lord," the first novel of the bestselling series of legal thrillers. A quick synopsis: Victoria Lord follows all the rules. Steve Solomon makes up his own. When they defend an accused murderer, they'll either end up in ruin, in jail...or in bed. Here's what number one bestselling author Harlan Coben had to say: "Hiaasen meets Grisham in the court of last retort. A sexy, wacky, wonderful thriller with humor and heart."Finally, an excerpt of "Mortal Sin," one of the award-winning Jake Lassiter novels, is also included in the collection. This time, the linebacker-turned-lawyer has a dangerous conflict of interest. He's sleeping with Nicky Florio's wife...and defending the mob-connected millionaire in court.  One false move, and Jake will be gator bait. "Recalling the work of Carl Hiaasen, this thriller races to a smashing climax." - Library Journal. PRAISE FOR THE FICTION OF PAUL LEVINE "Mystery writing at its very, very best." - Larry King, USA TODAY"Irreverent...genuinely clever...great fun." - The New York Times Book  Review"Just the remedy for those who can't get enough Spenser and miss Travis  McGee terribly." - St. Petersburg Times"Genuinely chilling." - Washington Post Book World "Take one part John Grisham, two parts Carl Hiaasen, throw in a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voila!" - Tulsa World"Wildly entertaining blend of raucous humor and high adventure."- St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Cracking good action-mystery...funny, sardonic, and fast-paced." - Detroit Free Press ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    This inaugural volume showcases the best North American fantasy short fiction from the preceding year.Hard truth about waste management / Sumanth Prabhaker --Stolen father / Eric Roe --Saffron gatherer / Elizabeth Hand --Whipping / Julia Elliott --Better angel / Chris Adrian --Draco Campestris / Sarah Monette --Geese / Daniel Courdriet --Chinese boy / Ann Stapleton --Flying woman / Meghan McCarron --First kisses from beyond the grave / Nik Houser --Song of the selkie / Gina Ochsner --Troop [sic] of baboons / Tyler Smith --Pieces of Scheherazade / Nicole Kornher-Stace --Origin story / Kelly Link --Experiment in governance / E.M. Schorb --Next corpse collector / Ramola D --Village of Ardakmoktan / Nicole Derr --Man who married a tree / Tony D'Souza --Fable with slips of white paper ... / Kevin Brockmeier --Pregnant / Catherine Zeidler --Warehouse of saints / Robin Hemley --Ledge / Austin Bunn --Lazy taekos / Geoffrey A. Landis --For the love of Paul Bunyan / Fritz Swanson --Accounting / Brian Evenson --Abraham Loncoln has been shot / Daniel Alarcon --Bit forgive / Maile Chapman --End of narrative (1-29; or 29-1) / Peter LaSalle --Kiss / Melora Wolff

    Sexy. Sassy. There’s so much to love. Don’t miss out on this massive collection of romance stories by best-selling author Summer Cooper and Scarlet Wilder! Included in this boxset:A Chance To LoveSomebody To LoveNot Mine To LoveFirst Love: A Single Dad Second Chance RomanceElemental Love: A Single Dad Second Chance RomanceAccidental Love: A Single Dad Second Chance RomanceLosing ItRisking ItWanting ItFeeling It10 standalone, heartwarming, panty-melting stories with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed HEA. Scroll down and see what our swoon-inducing heroes have to say about their special ladies... A Chance To Love A cheating husband. Divorced with a young daughter. My heart died a little when I heard the news about Dana. When she picked him over me, I left. I know now I should have stayed and fought for her. I only hope that it isn’t too late… Somebody To Love She smells so good… and I want her all to myself. I knew that the first time I met her. But she’s clearly been hurt before by a**holes like me. I have to convince her I’m not like them. But if my plan fails, I’ll lose everything. Not Mine To Love She’s stalking me, I swear. Saying hello to her was a mistake. Getting to know her was an even bigger mistake. I should have kept my distance. I shouldn’t be thinking about her in that way. But it’s too late, now she occupies my most private thoughts... First Love Naked. That was the first time I really saw Elle, that I took any notice. I saw her vulnerability and I soon realized she had been bullied. I wanted to protect her right there and then. I wanted to run away with her. But that’s not something the dutiful son of a billionaire should do. Elemental Love The help. As much as I hate that word, I hate her even more. I hate that she’s in love with my little brother. I hate that she’s so good with my son. I hate that she’s the best at what she does. I hate her so much that I want to rip her clothes off and punish her… Accidental Love When I chose to adopt Lily, I closed the door on romance. Then I saw Eva again. The girl that once felt so right in my arms. The girl that ghosted me without a word. It’s been seven years but apparently, time doesn’t heal all wounds. I want her to feel the hurt she caused me. Losing It Definitely maybe. Eris has turned into a stunning woman that I can’t take my eyes off. She wanted me then and still wants me now. The thing is... she’s my best friend’s sister. She’s kind of woman you marry. She’s the kind I stay the hell away from. Risking It Women. Booze. Parties. That’s pretty much my life as a jock. But seeing her again stirs up memories. I remember the time I dragged her lifeless body out of the water. I remember the feeling of almost losing her… And desperately wanting to never feel that again.

    P. Lovecraft, published his first story, the monstrosities that crawled out of his brain have become legend: the massive, tentacled Cthulhu, who lurks beneath the sea waiting for his moment to rise; the demon Sultan Azathoth, who lies babbling at the center of the universe, mad beyond imagining; the Deep Ones, who come to shore to breed with mortal men; and the unspeakably-evil Hastur, whose very name brings death. These creatures have been the nightmarish fuel for generations of horror writers, and the inspiration for some of their greatest works.This impressive anthology celebrates Lovecraft's most famous beasts in all their grotesque glory, with each story a gripping new take on a classic mythos creature and affectionately accompanied by an illuminating illustration. Within these accursed pages something unnatural slouches from the sea into an all-night diner to meet the foolish young woman waiting for him, while the Hounds of Tindalos struggle to survive trapped in human bodies, haunting pool halls for men they can lure into the dark. Strange, haunting, and undeniably monstrous, this is Lovecraft as you have never seen him before.Contents"Only the End of the World Again" by Neil Gaiman"The Bleeding Shadow" by Joe R. Lansdale"Love is Forbidden, We Croak & Howl" by Caitlín R. Kiernan"Bulldozer" by Laird Barron"A Quarter to Three" by Kim Newman"Inelastic Collisions" by Elizabeth Bear"That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable" by Nick Mamatas"Red Goat Black Goat" by Nadia Bulkin"Jar of Salts" and "Haruspicy" by Gemma Files"Black is the Pit From Pole to Pole" by Howard Waldrop and Steven Utley"I've Come to Speak with You Again" by Karl Edward Wagner"The Sect of the Idiot" by Thomas Ligotti"The Dappled Things" by William Browning Spencer"The Same Deep Waters as You" by Brian Hodge"Remnants" by Fred Chappell"Waiting at the Cross Roads" by Steve Rasnic Tem"Children of the Fang" by John Langan

     The Billionaire Dragon Shifter's Mate A BBW in search of adventure + a dragon shifter in search of a mate + a mishap on a mountainside = one sparkling and sexy story! Curvy Cara Linley left her boring life in Iowa in search of adventure, but she only found loneliness in new and different places. She thinks there's no fairy tales left for a girl like her-- until she gets stranded on a mountainside, and a gorgeous hero comes to her rescue. Billionaire dragon shifter Gus Gray has all the treasure a dragon could desire, but even his hoard of glittering gold has lost its shine, with no mate to share it with. Can an ordinary princess and a lonely dragon find their happily ever after? Beauty and the Billionaire Dragon Shifter A BBW who's new in town + a dragon shifter who's new to being human + a very confused dog named Mouse = one sexy fairy tale romance! Curvy science teacher Becca Stafford has just moved to Gray's Hollow for a new job. Over tea with the mayor's wife, she soon learns the town's biggest secret--it's the home of two dragon shifters, the mayor and his brother Ilie. As soon as she meets Ilie, without so much as a true love's kiss, he transforms into a gorgeous (and naked) man. Billionaire dragon shifter Ilie Gray has lived as a dragon since he was a child. His mother always told him that someday he would meet a woman worth turning human for, but he never thought it would happen when he recognized his mate in a single glance. He also never thought that changing into a human might cost him the friendship of his dog Mouse. Becca seems happy with his human form, but can she love a man who still sometimes wants to be a beast? The Billionaire Dragon Shifter's Christmas A curvy newlywed wife + a dragon shifter mayor + a small town Christmas celebration = one snowy, sexy holiday romance! Cara Gray, formerly Cara Linley, is settling into life as the wife of a small town mayor who also happens to be a dragon shifter. She has just one problem: her first Christmas with her new husband. What do you give the billionaire dragon who already has everything--including your heart? Gus Gray is the happiest of dragons: he has his mate, his hoard, and even a little dragonet on the way. But Christmas is coming, and he needs to give Cara a gift that a human will love. Can a dragon learn that there are things worth more than gold? Choosing the Billionaire Dragon Shifters A BBW in a small town + twin dragon shifters in need of a mate to share + the most hotly contested mayoral election Gray's Hollow has ever seen = one sexy story that's a win/win/win! Hannah Cole has been the Deputy Mayor of Gray's Hollow for four years, and with the current mayor stepping down, she's about to get a new boss. Twin dragon shifters Radu and Sorin Gray are coming back to town after years away. When Hannah finally meets the twins for the first time she's stunned to realize that she's destined for both of them, but it makes for an easy choice! Sorin Gray first recognized his mate four years ago, when he saw a spirited and full-figured redhead running for mayor against his brother. She lost the election, but Sorin knew Hannah was meant for him--but he thought that meant his twin brother Radu was out in the cold. When they find out Hannah is meant for them both, it seems like their happily ever after is a sure thing--until Hannah finds out Sorin and Radu have been holding back, and she wonders if destiny leaves her any room to choose.

    Millions of people are going through similar things. And many of them are people you know—you know them because they write the books that you’re reading.Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. It takes aim at ending the shame of mental illness. With the intention of providing hope to those who are suffering, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member battle mental illness, and opening the floodgates to conversations about mental illness, Side Effects tackles the stigmas around mental illness in a new and refreshing way.