They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales.  Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily.  But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed.  And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem. Includes:Retribution Clause by Ilona AndrewsBigfoot on Campus by Jim ButcherHolly’s Balm by Rachel CaineSnow Job by Carole Nelson DouglasOutside The Box by P. N. ElrodHow Do You Feel? by Simon R. GreenThere Will Be Demons by Lori HandelandCherry Kisses by Erica HayesThe Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie VaughnLength: 13 hours and 8 minutes

    NOTE: This story has been re-released in the Dark Bites anthology.Celebrity necromancer Jaime Vegas is headlining a sold-out séance tour, but behind the scenes, a disgruntled ghost has a bone to pick, in Kelley Armstrong's The Ungrateful Dead.Plus tales guaranteed to get under your skin - in a good way - from:* Janet Berliner* Don D'Ammassa* Nancy Holder* Nancy Kilpatrick* J. A. Konrath* F. Paul Wilson* Joe R. Lansdale* Will Ludwigsen* Sharyn McCrumb* Mark Onspaugh* Mike Resnick* Steven Savile* D. L. Snell* Eric James Stone* Jeff Strand* Lucien Soulban* Matt Venne* Christopher WelchSo let the blood flow and laughter reign - because when it comes to facing our deepest, darkest fears, a little humor goes a long way!

    and the mates fate has in store for them. Crying Wolf Grace Shaw is on the run from her crazy ex-boyfriend who refuses to believe their relationship is over. He's a cop and is willing to use police resources to track her down. So Grace comes up with a plan and tricks his fellow brothers in blue into thinking he is crying wolf a couple of times when he's reported her missing. Little does she know she'll go running into the arms of a real wolf when she finally makes her escape for real.She just wants to be left alone, but then she meets Hunter Tate - the alpha of the Black River Pack. Grace tries to hold Hunter at arm's length, but there's just no reasoning with an alpha male werewolf who insists she's his mate. Shoot for the Moon Eliza Reve knows that her ability to dream of future events sets her apart from others. Her gift became a curse when she wasn't able to save her mother or the alpha's son and she found herself exiled - a lone wolf. When she joins the Black River Pack, Eliza vows never to reveal her talent to anyone. Not even the man who has walked in her dreams for years.Spencer Tate is her mate, but her visions have told her that he will renounce her. When he doesn't recognize her as his mate, she agrees to the no-strings-attached affair he offers because she thinks it's the most she can hope for. Although her heart breaks as she falls deeper in love with him, she wants to spend as many days with Spencer as possible before he kicks her out of his life.When Spencer finally comes to his senses, he has his work cut out for him to convince Eliza that he wants her forever. When another she-wolf insists she's his mate instead, things get even more complicated. But Spencer isn't the alpha's second and enforcer because he isn't willing to fight for what's his, and he refuses to settle for anything less than Eliza as his marked and claimed mate. Thrown to the Wolves Annora Channing's entire world changes the moment she discovers she's a bear shifter. With mated wolves for parents, she should have been a wolf also. When the man she grew up thinking was her father realizes she isn't his daughter, he devises a plan to use her existence to his advantage in a way that will get her out from under his roof.When her situation goes from bad to worse, Annora escapes but is badly injured in the process. Luckily, Elias Reve comes to her rescue while on his way to Wolf's Point and the daughter he lost years ago. With nowhere else to go and nobody to turn to, Annora joins him on his journey and ends up running smack-dab into the arms of her mate.Parker Tate knows Annora is his the moment he lays eyes on her. When he manages to mate and mark her within hours of when they meet, he considers himself lucky. Then the trouble nipping at Annora's heels finds her and Parker realizes the path to claiming his mate won't be as easy as he thought - especially not with the bears involved.

    These days, women are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be).In this all-new anthology, Kerrie L. Hughes and New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine have collected original stories from thirteen of today’s most exciting urban fantasy and paranormal authors. Each story features a strong heroine who kicks butt and takes names in a dangerous world and makes that world a better place for everyone in it—except the bad guys, of course. And if she finds a bit of romance along the way, well, a little heat warms the heart and sharpens the mind…just as long as the man can keep up. Includes: Shiny by Rachel CaineIn Venito Veras by Karen ChanceHunt by Rachel VincentMonsters by Lilith SaintcrowVampires Prefer Blondes by P.N. ElrodNine-Tenths of the Law by Jenna BlackDouble Dead by Cheyenne McCrayA Rose by Any Other Name Would Still be Red by Elizabeth A. VaughnSuperman by Jeanne C. SteinMonster Mash by Carole Nelson DouglasWanted: Dead or Alive by L.A. BanksMist by Susan KrinardBeyond the Pale by Nancy Holden

    One by one, they turn to Lovely and Kind Brides for a little help. The mail-order bride agency specializes in helping shifters find their one true mate. Follow along as each shifter finds his own LK Bride. This bundle contains all the books in the bestselling series. Each book can be read as a standalone with its own HEA. This bundle includes: Loving the Lion Wolf Seeks Wife The Bear’s Bride Taming the Tiger A Wife for the Wolves Surrendering to the Stag Pursing the Panther The Leopard in Love

    His wicked thinking and juggernaut personality have propelled him from one challenge to the next without fail. Where most people set goals for themselves, Tom simply wakes up one day and does it, that's just how he is. What most of his competitors and employees don't know is that much of his tenacity and ferociousness is born from the wild. That is, from the wild feline that lives with him. From panther to housecat, Tom has the incredible ability to alter his form at will. Curvaceous and successful, Jacy is the vice-president of Majestic Enterprises, one of Calico's most powerful competitors. Her father, the owner of Majestic, is also a ruthless adversary of Tom's. So when he all but tells his daughter she must go to work for the enemy, Jacy is anything but thrilled. Like Tom, she's yet to find a challenge she can't handle. Yet for all her trickery and witchery, Jacy finds that perhaps she has met her match with her new boss. Love blooms, stocks rise, and personalities clash. Will the witch let herself be seduced by the allure of a black cat, or does the chaos reign supreme once more?

    But that was then. This is now. As a marine biologist, Maris Xayer is used to observing all types of marine life, but she never imagined she’d come face to tail with an Ujal. In the middle of a hurricane, Maris and Vados came together—ahem—and then he disappeared. She figured it was a one-storm stand with an Ujal and moved on. Except Vados hadn’t really gone anywhere and now the sexy as sin, red-skinned Ujal is back. For her. **This is a stand alone 37 page SHORT STORY.**

    And all because a stranger says her name is... Amanda.Others have claimed to be Amanda Daulton, but now a beautiful, self-assured woman has stepped out of the shadows of the past, insisting she's the missing heiress to a multimillion-dollar fortune. One look is all it takes to assure the family patriarch that she's his beloved granddaughter. But others at the magnificent Southern mansion called Glory are not as easily convinced, others with much to lose from her sudden reappearance. Soon suspicion erupts in a chilling attempt on her life, and after the traumatic ordeal, she begins to have flashes of a nightmarish vision. What, if anything, happened twenty years ago to drive a mother and her nine-year-old daughter away from their privileged life? The struggle to find the elusive answer exposes a frightening trail of secrets—a trail that leads shockingly to the present and to the enigmatic woman who calls herself... Amanda.Haunting RachelDanger wears many faces....Ten years ago Rachel Grant's fiancé, Thomas, disappeared. His body was never found. Now there's a stranger in town, a man who could be Thomas's twin--or his ghost.His name is Adam Delafield. He's been watching Rachel for days. He has the locket she gave Thomas before he vanished. And he says he owed her father three million dollars.But there's no record of the loan—or a shred of proof that Adam is who he claims to be. And he's always nearby as accidents begin to threaten Rachel's life.Is he an innocent man who only wants to repay a debt? Or a figure from the past with a score to settle? Rachel must expose lies and unravel stories, find out who wants her dead and why...before the next attempt to kill her succeeds.

     Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous-these all-new stories will ensure that readers never think of vampires (or birthdays) in quite the same way again. In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present. New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love. In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt. Plus ten more bloody good birthday stories that take the cake.Contents xi • Preface: A Few Words (Many Bloody Returns) • (2007) • essay by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner1 • Dracula Night • [Sookie Stackhouse 4.3] • shortstory by Charlaine Harris21 • The Mournful Cry of Owls • novelette by Christopher Golden50 • I Was a Teenage Vampire • novelette by Bill Crider73 • Twilight • [Women of the Otherworld Short Fiction 7.2] • novelette by Kelley Armstrong100 • It's My Birthday, Too • [The Dresden Files 9.2] • novella by Jim Butcher146 • Grave-Robbed • [Vampire Files] • novelette by P. N. Elrod176 • The First Day of the Rest of Your Life • [The Morganville Vampires: Extras 2.5] • novelette by Rachel Caine201 • The Witch and the Wicked • novelette by Jeanne C. Stein230 • Blood Wrapped • [Henry Fitzroy] • novelette by Tanya Huff254 • The Wish • shortstory by Carolyn Haines265 • Fire Ice and Linguini for Two • [Garnet Lacey 2.5] • novelette by Lyda Morehouse [as by Tate Hallaway ]290 • Vampire Hours • novelette by Elaine Viets318 • How Stella Got Her Grave Back • novelette by Toni L. P. Kelner

    They'll offer you a cup of mulled cider and the story of how they met—and they'll share Helen's breathtaking adventures during the Second World War.“KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE” by Bella AndreFor Mary Sullivan Christmas has always been about family. As she hangs her ornaments, she's swept back to the first days of her whirlwind romance with her husband--and the love that would be the foundation on which they built their family.“FINDING EACH OTHER” by Melody AnneBrayden Steele gave up his love of Christmas many years ago when he lost his mother and father in a car wreck. But just because he no longer believes in Santa Clause, doesn’t mean the magic has given up on him.“BEFORE THAT PROMISE” by Violet DukeIf anyone can make Drew Lawson believe in the magic of Christmas, it's the mind-wreckingly beautiful Skylar Sullivan.  She's the girl-next-door he'd classified as completely off-limits two years ago--and she's standing on his doorstep on Christmas Eve.“CELEBRATION AFTER DARK” by Marie ForceOn the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be, while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives. Come to Gansett Island to celebrate the holidays and the anniversary of the island’s most loved couple!“A DUNDEE CHRISTMAS” by Brenda NovakWelcome to Dundee, Idaho, where the town is small but the hearts of the people living in it are large. A woman seeking refuge in an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home. But Ken Holbrook provides more than safety and comfort because with him, she also finds love. “UNMATCHABLE” by Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGeeAfter Jane Osborne is unceremoniously dumped by a rich man, and then invited to his wedding, on (Christmas Eve no less), she decides to hire a date from Craigslist and pass him off as an upgrade.“CHRISTMAS MIRACLE FOR DAISY” by Jane PorterWhen his goddaughter, Daisy, is orphaned, confirmed bachelor Cormac Sheenan adopts her. All goes well until Marietta's seasonal Santa Claus promises his daughter a mommy for Christmas. Cormac is livid, until his old flame Whitney Alder comes back to town.…“CHRISTMAS WISH: A HOPE FALLS HOLIDAY NOVELLA” by Melanie ShawnFor the movie star and the single mom, will a Christmas Wish become their new reality? “A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE” by RaeAnne ThayneWidow and caterer Jenna Wheeler is determined to spin Christmas into the stuff of magic for her four children, even if that means helping out her new landlord, sexy billionaire Carson McRaven. At first, Carson wants nothing to do with Jenna, children or the holidays, but he has a little to learn about the spirit of Christmas."THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" by Melinda CurtisSimon Castle' s on his way to a make-or-break meeting unseasonably scheduled for December 25--until the gorgeous redhead subbing for his limo driver takes him on a detour.“GINGERBREAD DREAMS” by Anna J. StewartCan carpenter Hamish MacFadden show free-spirit Essie Goodman how magical family--and Christmas--can be?

    The curvy, plus-sized waitress is his mate, yet he still hasn’t figured out how to tell her about his bear. When Kate is put in danger, all bets are off, and nothing can stop the grizzly from claiming and protecting his mate. BROTHER BEAR (Book 2) Ana Smith has been on the run for nearly two months when she stops in Bear Mountain looking for work and meets sexy, muscle bound Seth. Too bad gorgeous, tall, perfect guys don’t go for curvy women like her. Seth knows Ana is hiding something, but he won’t push her for answers no matter how long it takes. He’s chosen her and he’s not letting go. When Ana’s past rolls into town, she finds out nothing will stop a grizzly determined to protect his mate. DOUBLE BEAR (Book 3) Samantha Hastings has lived in Bear Mountain her entire life and doesn’t want to leave, but she longs for a man to call her own and accept her, curves included. When she falls for both Cade and Collin, she vows to stay away from the gorgeous twins. After years of searching for the perfect woman to share for eternity, the two men have other ideas for their curvy mate. Sam’s about to find out that loving two men might seem wrong, but her mates will never let her go. IDLE BEAR (Book 4) Sara Henley has resigned herself to a life alone. Though she wants nothing more than a husband and a family, she knows she won’t find him in Bear Mountain, and she’s not willing to leave the small town. Aaron Williams hasn’t shifted into his bear form in almost a hundred years, and considers his shifter side a curse, but he can’t resist the pull to Bear Mountain. When he meets Sara, Aaron is forced to reconsider his past choices, but he still can’t reconcile with his bear—until Sara is put in danger. Now all he has to do is convince his mate to give him another chance. LOST BEAR (Book 5) Dave Yeager is the deputy in Bear Mountain, and the only human in town who knows about the shifting abilities of the sheriff and his friends. After watching yet another couple mate, he’s reminded of his loneliness. Emma has been living in her bear form for the past ten years, but she can’t ignore the call to Bear Mountain. Sparks fly when she meets Dave, but she’s unwilling to be cheated on again, and creates a plan to satisfy them both. It’s perfect until she realizes an alpha always gets what he wants. (Each book is also sold separately!)

    Abducted, decontaminated and dressed like a harem girl, she’s been chosen to become the alien’s mate.Maya's been raised to believe in extra-terrestrials and when she saves a sexy blue one from drowning, she can't resist taking him home-and into her bed.Abducted by a hunky blue alien, researcher and admitted geek Penny is eager to study his mating habits—in the flesh. She’d like to blame her illogical affection for him on hormones, but the erotic remedy just heightens her chemical imbalance.From the sands of white Mexico, to the Xamian home planet, and the vast galaxy in between, three different tales of alien love with a large dose of humor & of course, sensual probing.This anthology contains all 3 Alien Mate Stories• Alien Mate• Alien Mate 2• Alien Mate 3

    It can be read in ten minutes. Please don't purchase this expecting a novel for your dollar.This story was written in a small cafe on the corner of Bleeker and Grove in New York City on Tuesday, May 27th. The idea came to me yesterday while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. I saw the locks on several of the small cables on the bridge. I remembered my time in both London and Paris, taking pictures of all the love locks on bridges there. And I thought about all the couples those locks represent. I wondered how many are still together.Maybe this story isn't worth your dollar. If I could price a work on Amazon for less, I would. It is what it is. I hope this will be the first of many short pieces that I write and publish in a single day while recording what I'm thinking and where I am when I write them. For those who take the plunge, I hope you get your money's worth. Thank you for all of your support.-Hugh

    Lillie is in Sin City looking for a fling, and grizzly shifter Jim Halcyon is pleased to oblige. Only when Lady Luck gets involved, lust and ambition clash. (Takhini Shifters #1) USA Today bestselling author Deanna Chase brings you MARKED BY TEMPTATION, a novella set in the Bourbon Street world. Mati Ballintine is a sex witch looking for a hot one-night stand to bolster her power, and sexy Vaughn Paxton is cocky enough to make her work for it. But when their one night turns into more than they bargained for, one life is changed, another threatened, and suddenly there’s a whole lot more than lust at stake. (Coven Pointe #1) Dive into a world of adult fairy tales with USA Today Bestselling author Marie Halls's Rumpel's Prize . The dark prince Rumpelstiltskin is in need of a woman to break a curse, and nothing will sway him from his end game. Not even lust-at-first sight, or a fiery mane of red hair and the most vivid blue eyes he’s ever seen. Shayera Caron has other plans as she aims to bring the sexy-as-sin devil to his knees, but in the end only one can win. (Kingdom Series #8) Award-Winning Author Crista McHugh brings you Shattered Web , another seductive tale from the Deizian Empire. Marcus is ordered to a trading post along the barrier to solve the mysterious disappearance of all its occupants. Only the clues point to Sexta, the woman he loved and lost, and despite his better judgement, he can’t keep his hands off her. Arrested and charged with a crime she didn’t commit, Sexta not only has to deny her feelings for him after every tantalizing kiss, she needs to prove her innocence before the true enemy brings the empire to its knees. USA TODAY Bestselling Author M. Malone invites you to meet TANK Marshall. He has thirty days to meet his deadbeat dad or forfeit his inheritance. His mom needs surgery and he’d do anything for her, even dance with the devil. Emma Shaw just got the job of a lifetime, coaxing a rich client’s estranged son back into the fold. One meeting for $1 million. Easy money. Until she’s lying to the only man who makes her feel safe. (Blue-Collar Billionaires #1) USA Today bestselling author SM Reine brings you Caged Wolf , a novella set in the same world as The Ascension Series. Ofelia Hawke is stripping for bikers in Lobo Norte and trying to scrape together enough money to escape. When the Fang Brothers werewolf gang appears, Ofelia finds herself irresistibly drawn to a wolf named Trouble. If they don’t end up dying for each other, Trouble might be Ofelia’s only chance to break free. (Tarot Witches #1) National Bestselling author Roxie Rivera brings you COLLATERAL, a spinoff from her scorching hot Her Russian Protector series. Mob enforcer Ben Beciraj will do anything to protect sweet, beguiling heiress Aston McNeil from the seedy underworld he inhabits–even if it means crossing the only family he’s ever known. (Debt Collection #1) Venture into the dark corners of Sector Four in Beyond Solitude , a novella by Kit Rocha. When a motorcycle accident leaves Derek Ford riding a desk at the O’Kane compound, the last thing he needs is a sexy new assistant upending his office and his life. But Mia isn’t scared of her domineering boss. The friction between them generates an undeniable heat–but Mia will not be kept, and Ford will do anything to protect what’s his. (BEYOND #4.

    He needs to find a way to return to the future, but after falling in love with Liberty Stone, Caleb isn’t sure he can leave the past behind. A NORA ROBERTS CLASSIC AVAILABLE DIGITALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME