The Marq ssan bring business as usual to a screeching halt all over the world, and Professor Kay Zeldin joins Robert Sedgewick, US Chief of Security Services, in his war against the invaders. Soon Kay is making rather than writing history. But as she goes head-to-head against the Marq ssan, the long-buried secrets of her past resurface, and her conflicts with Sedgewick and Security Services multiply. She faces terrifying choices. Her worldview, her very grip on reality, is turned inside out. Whose side is she really on? And how far will she go in serving that side? Samuel R. Delany writes: "The coupling of real thoughtfulness and rip-roaring excitement is as rare in science fiction as in any other genre. But here, in Alanya to Alanya, they're locked together in the most exciting-and certainly the most intelligent!-tale of alien invasion I've read in decades. Because it is believable, it's fascinating. And, in the years that have seen Margaret Thatcher go and Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice arrive, Kay Zeldin is an extraordinarily effective portrait of a political hero." Samuel R. Delany, author of Dhalgren Politically savvy and philosophically relevant, this title puts a human face on today's problems. --Library Journal

    Almost.A deadly hunter.Hraban has dedicated his life to taking down creatures like Drakjan, protecting those who cannot protect themselves.An uneasy truce.When fate forces them together, the nix and the hunter discover a dangerous attraction… and a threat that can destroy everything Drakjan has come to love.~~~~~~This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. "Still Waters" contains sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. ~~~~~~This story prompt and photo inspired "Still Waters":Dear Author,I only have two words for you: ginger merman! Everything else is up to you.Photo Description: A redheaded, muscular young man with a short beard stands in a lake, a scraggly stand of seaweed-draped deadwood behind him and mountains in the distance. He looks directly at the viewer, wearing a neutral expression. The water comes up to just above his waist, and he is lifting a sturdy white net from the water with both hands.

    Now, Saoirse will have to save everyone she loves by discovering the truth about the mysterious mark on her shoulder -- and embracing her secret magical powers! Every issue of The Last Witch is oversized, featuring more than 30 story pages.

    Life is hard for the families who must wring a poor living from the stormy seas. But Rollrock is also a place of magic - the scary, salty-real sort of magic that changes lives forever. Down on the windswept beach, where the seals lie in herds, the outcast sea witch Misskaella casts her spells - and brings forth girls from the sea - girls with long, pale limbs and faces of haunting innocence and loveliness - the most enchantingly lovely girls the fishermen of Rollrock have ever seen.But magic always has its price. A fisherman may have and hold a sea bride, and tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she is. He will be equally ensnared. And in the end the witch will always have her payment.Margo Lanagan has written an extraordinary tale of desire, despair and transformation. In devastatingly beautiful prose, she reveals unforgettable characters capable of unspeakable cruelty - and deep unspoken love. After reading about the Rollrock fishermen and their sea brides, the world will not seem the same.

    Unable to escape the thought of her, Adonis secretly searched for her, refusing to just let her get away. As a siren, Nirvana Rose kills men and sucks their souls for survival. She's never hesitated to go for the kill until she laid her eyes on 'him' . His undeniable attractiveness , and captivating ways pulled her in, in ways she's never been pulled in before, especially not by the male species. Refusing to be thrown off her A game, Nirvana focuses on her mission to snatch the soul of a demigod. Unbeknownst to her, the demigod she's sent after is none other than Adonis, the alluring man from before. Which ends up complicating things for the both of them. Though they were drawn to each other, reality set in heavy. Both Nirvana and Adonis are two magical beings fighting on different sides of the same war. Despite their differences, an impossible bond forms between them that changes everything they've come to learn and know about their people. Unearthing true feelings, Nirvana and Adonis begin to unlock secrets wrapped around the both of them that prove vital to their existence. In the end, the both of them are faced with serious ultimatums that will drastically change things either way.

    Video game action, epic adventure, evil developers and beautiful women! With an evil government ruling over his word, Zack flees into the MMO Aralia Online to escape them. What starts off as a fun-fueled 5 player dungeon grind for coin and loot soon turns into the epic adventure of a lifetime.Forced into Alpha Testing a new Underworld expansion zone by the developers, Zack is granted an upgradable group of hot female companions, a customizable player house and more action and adventure than one guy can possibly handle! But not all is as it seems. Mysterious forces working against the government hide in the digital shadows.  And they are watching Zack, studying his potential, seeing where his loyalties lie. Warning: Contains sexy scenes, violence, gore, numbery stats, Bard healz, a giant snake woman, a cult of big women, bikini armor, a grumpy old lady kept up at night by all the “youngins” and their loud and sinful fun and a naughty dragon that sets fire to everything. Recommended for age 18+ Readers who love LITRPG and Gamelit Fantasy with beautiful women!Come join the action!

    The wild and seductive energy in this collection never lets one put the book down. (In fact, any one who opens the collection in the bookstore and reads such poems as The Conversation and Job Requirements: A Supervillain's Advice will want to buy the book!) For her delivery is heart-breaking and refreshing, so the poems seduce us with the sadness, glory and entertainment of our very own days. Propelled by Jeannine Hall Gailey's alert, sensuous, and musical gifts, the mythology becomes all our own." -Ilya Kaminsky, author of the award-winning Dancing in Odessa

    But as Mayla negotiates the biggest deal of her life, she draws the attention of terrorists who threaten to plunge her, and David, back into the nightmare of his violent past.

    The ocean takes away the boy she loves, and to save him, she will risk her own life. Now, she has to confront the consequences of her actions. The consequences of her choice. With the pressure of a dark secret looming over her, Marissa has to figure out how to return things to how they were before or she might lose everything forever. Her friends, her family, the boy she loves and even her own existence.𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓.

    Miranda is shocked by energetic Grandma Lila, and something awakens in her as she discovers the wildlife of the marsh her grandmother so fiercely protects.Miranda captures nature's magic with her camera. She also captures Adam's heart. Part Cherokee, Adam cares for Lila's land and shares her love for wild creatures. When a sudden turn of events brings confusion and grief to Miranda's family; it raises disturbing questions about Adam. Is he all he seems to be? And what secrets account for the fury that torments Miranda's father? For the first time, Miranda the perfect daughter must take a stand. But doing so is painful as Miranda turns the camera on her own life and past.

    

    After making a deal with a mysterious immortal, he was sent to a new world in hopes of gaining the offered reward - a chance at a better life with his family. However, Keith failed to realize that this deal did not come with an expiration date, no matter how many times he died. After dying for the dozenth time, Keith renegotiates with the immortal. This new deal will see him sent to the world of Raiah - a world filled with monsters, cowardly monkeys, and a system of magic very similar to the fantasy roleplaying games his brother used to enjoy. Completing a quest to hunt the most dangerous monsters on the planet, is the price Keith will need to pay to regain his old life. It’s a good thing that all of his experiences in his previous lives translate to Skills in this new one because if Keith fails this time, the price he will need to pay will be far steeper. We Hunt Monsters is a crunchy LitRPG in an epic fantasy setting. Fans of Dakota Krout, Will Wight, and the Monster Hunter games will enjoy this new series by the bestselling author of the Rise to Omniscience and Buryoku series.

    Burnett, and the Risky Business team are confronted by new perils and discoveries in their extraordinary quest for both treasures and what might be explosive, historical findings.New friends and new adversaries make their quest a suspense-filled thrill ride.Will they find the elusive treasure galleon, is the legendary golden library in Ecuador real?REVELATIONS - Volume 2 of the Risky Business Chronicles will engulf you as a virtual participant in this amazing adventure.It is the second book in Hep Aldridge's action and adventure series about Dr. Colten X. Burnett and the Risky Business team.

    At least, not until she vacationed in Chicago and ran into a Sorcerer of Air who sets her free.Her world is about to be turned upside down. Witches, dark covens, vampires, sorcerers, and good and evil are all coming for her, ready or not. She’s going to need a little help, if she’s going to survive it all.Note: This is the first book of a trilogy. No major cliffhangers but expect a few unresolved plot threads. This story is told in the first person, from Danielle’s point of view.

    The journey to salvage the lost friend can still offer myriad opportunities of redemption and self-discovery. It is up to us how we decide to tread this formidable path leading to self-actualization. Time has made us realize that it is not fair to stereotype a person suffering from cancer from the point of view of cure or recovery. Many a time, such stereotyping comes from our own society, and sometimes, ironically, from the medical fraternity, for its inability to go beyond a point, after which you feel you are condemned and vegetative. All these negativities passively entrap the patients and their parents in the viciousness of the disease where they die many times before the actual death. This is the worst form of cancer which has plagued our mindset. In the case of Divyansh Atman, the authors’ son, it was not so. Divyansh was the embodiment of courage and self-determination in the face of adversities. His life journey shows us how the path of opportunities can still be paved in the middle of adversities. He lived a big and a meaningful life that made a huge impact on the lives of people around him. Cancer can bring in self-evolution, both for the sufferer and his caregivers.