Each beautifully crafted story brings an unusual twist to the traditional tale, from Cinderella’s story told from the not-so-kind fairy godmother’s point of view, to the Bluebeard tale showing the lure of this dark and dangerous man that drives young girls to rush willingly to their fate.Foreword by Anna Kashina“A Necklace of Rubies” by Cindy Lynn Speer“Come Lady Death” by Peter S. Beagle; “Summer Wind” by Nancy Kress“Stronger than Time” by Patricia C. Wrede“Words Like Pale Stones” by Nancy Kress“Every Word I Speak” by Cindy Lynn Speer“Remains” by Siobhan Carroll“Frayed Tapestry” by Imogen Howson“The Cold Blackness Between” by Lucy A. Snyder“Solstice Maiden” copyright by Anna Kashina“But Can You Let Him Go” by Cindy Lynn Speer

    This truth is so ingrained in the minds of readers that to suggest its removal is incomprehensible. But what if the magic is removed? Is it possible to find true love when the world is perfectly ordinary? After Eleanor rescues her stepsister Fanny from an attempted elopement, their father decides to remove the family to the Continent before Fanny’s indiscretion can be discovered. Eleanor finds the opportunity a welcome relief after a disastrous London Season, and is determined to set herself apart from her vain and scheming stepfamily. A chance meeting at a ball earns her the attentions of the handsome Baron Rupert von Schönfeld, a cousin to the Imperial Family of Austria. He is enchanted by Eleanor’s beauty, talent, and kindness, and Eleanor feels certain that she will soon leave her stepfamily behind for good. But Fanny is angry over Eleanor’s interference in her elopement, and gossip is a powerful engine for revenge. As rumors begin to fly, Eleanor’s only comfort is writing about her troubles to her cousin, Isabella. Isabella, meanwhile, has an adventure of her own to share. Her father has formed a friendship with the surly Duke William of Stirling. His rough manners and intentional slights are irritating, especially to a proper young lady, but Isabella is more than a match with a fiery wit of her own. Then the Duke invites her father to visit his castle in the wilds of the Scottish countryside, and Isabella soon realizes that the Duke’s prickly demeanor hides a kind heart and a mysterious accident from his past. Her heart tells her to let the past rest, but her mind is not ready to give up on discovering the Duke’s secrets, and her curiosity might keep her from the happy ending she desires. In a world where etiquette reigns and fairy godmothers are noticeably absent, Eleanor and Isabella are left to sort out their own “happily ever after” endings with only their wits, good manners, and accomplishments. Set in Victorian England and beyond, this retelling combines two beloved fairytales with the literary style made popular by authors such as Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë.

    Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt's jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda's path.In this magical story filled with enchanting surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch's spell, avenge her parents' death, restore justice to a town that does not yet know the corrupt danger around them, and maybe - just maybe - Lucinda might capture the heart of a prince.

    Chief among them was the Archangel known as Lucifer. God's perfect creation: a being who dwelled in the Creator s presence, and who walked in the midst of the Stones of Fire. He was perfect in all his ways...until iniquity was found in him. For never in all of history had Heaven known war. Never until this one angel looked upon his creator in envy and said, I will be God, and the universe would never be the same. How could Lucifer who dwelt in the very presence of God elect to rebel against his creator? What could go so horribly wrong that a 3rd of heaven would turn their backs on God? Many tales have referenced this great angelic war but few have sought to explore the dynamic relationships between God and the angelic hosts. See Lucifer and his actions in a light never before seen. Journey back to the beginning, and see the drama unfold before your eyes: as allegiances are broken, choices made, and why all of creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. The prequel to the Bible is here!

    Lawhead’s acclaimed Bright Empires series—now available in one volume! Journey through The Skin Map, The Bone House, The Spirit Well, The Shadow Lamp, and The Fatal Tree in this stunning series that blends an epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. It’s a page-turning adventure like no other. “Anything but ordinary . . . dynamic settings are mixed with unpredictable adventures.” —BookPage review of The Skin Map

    Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman's son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances once tempted her to believe she might someday be loved for herself. But others will stop at nothing to use her gift for their own gains-no matter what the cost to Emmeline. Magic and romance entwine in this fantastical world where true love and chocolate conquer all.

    Banned from a season in London, prohibited from attending social events, forbidden to see her own reflection, and allowed only vetted correspondence—Rose is desperate for a life free from her controlling aunt. When she stumbles into the Duke of Andover and meets his son, the Marquess of Stratfordshire, she discovers new feelings and the possibility of future happiness. Rose begins to see a way out of her dark world—much to her aunt’s dismay.Lord Colin Weston, the Marquess of Stratfordshire and future Duke of Andover, has met too many pretentious ladies more desirous of his title than his heart to trust easily. When he meets Miss Rose Grant, she seems genuine and kind, and Colin finds himself falling for her much too quickly.Will Rose and Colin find their happily ever after, or will another’s attempt to poison them against one another prevail?

    This big step seems her best chance to find a husband. After all she is twenty-four and a schoolmarm on the fast track to spinsterhood. Wearing her best hat and her bravest face, she steps off the train expecting to find a respectable marriageable man waiting for her. Specifically she expects to be met by “a fine-looking bachelor rancher of twenty-six years of age in need of a cheerful, sturdy and well-mannered wife.” Instead she is met by a rangy looking cowhand who is fifty years old if he is a day. When she refuses to marry him and rebukes him for misrepresenting himself he tries to force her to go with him. A handsome cowboy strides over and confronts the lying creep who lured her out West. He is every inch her idea of the perfect cowboy, strong and handsome, confident and heroic. After he runs off the lout, she thanks him. She remembers him from the train. The moment he boarded she noticed his striking gray eyes and his charismatic way. Unfortunately since a woman and three small children were with him she took him for a married man. But he isn’t. He is looking after his widowed sister and little nephews. Good news. Savannah, resigns to wait a week for the Georgia bound train to come, but soon learns the school teacher is seriously ill and volunteers to substitute for as long as she is needed, even though it will delay her departure. As sickness spreads through town and her relationship with the cowboy becomes more complicated, it becomes unclear whether she will find love in Dovetail or return home content to be a spinster schoolmarm. Also by Crystal Anne Tilden The Best Selling Christian Western Romance, Mail Order Bride: Carrie and the Cowboy

    Christianity has swept unstoppably across Scandinavia, leaving few enclaves of the old ways clinging on to their fading world as King Olof of Sweden works to convert his people.A young warrior, Halfdan, has witnessed the ‘mercy’ of the Christian lords, watched his people attacked, his village burned and the Odin stone toppled as heretical. Watched his father cut down by an ambitious Christian jarl and his zealous priest. Among the ashes of his world he vowed an oath of vengeance before all the gods.That oath will bring together an unlikely band of allies and carry them to the very edge of the world, fighting giants, dragons and wraiths, in pursuit of his father’s killer: Yngvar. The jarl is powerful, and the weaving of Fate difficult, but the blood price must be paid.

    Each of these stories, whether novella length or full length, will transport you back to a time when outlaws ran free, the land was wild, and guns blazed at the drop of a hat. Rocky Mountain Oasis, by Lynnette Bonner When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he's as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister. Brooke's new husband turns out to be kinder than any man has ever been. But then the unthinkable happens and she holds the key that might save innocent lives but destroy Sky all in one fell swoop. It's a choice too unbearable to contemplate...but a choice that must be made. The Debutante Queen, by Angela Breidenbach 1889 (Helena, MT): Calista Blythe enters the first Miss Snowflake Pageant celebrating Montana statehood to expose the plight of street urchins. But hiding an indentured orphan could unravel Calista’s reputation, and her budding romance with pageant organizer, Albert Shanahan, if her secret is revealed. Will love or law prevail? Almost Home, by Susan Page Davis Patricia Logan leaves her friend’s party in Denver and heads for home at her uncle’s ranch. Her ride is sidelined by the storm. A chance meeting with Jared Booker, an old friend, prompts Patricia to beg for a lift. They set out on horseback and become snowbound for two days in a shack with a crotchety midwife and their past. Can they rekindle their old camaraderie and see it transform into lasting love? A Breed Apart, by Vickie McDonough The only thing Sarah Ames is good at is training horses. Her family wants to see her married. When her pa hires a stranger to take her job at their ranch, Sarah is hurt and angry. She suspects the handsome half-breed is a rustler and keeps her eye on him, but the man seems surprisingly above reproach. When cattle go missing, Sarah no longer wants to believe Carson is the thief. Could Carson have stolen her heart as well as the cattle? When all my Dreams Come True, by Janelle Mowery Bobbie McIntyre dreams of running a ranch of her own. Raised without a mother and having spent most of her time around men, she knows more about wrangling than acting like a lady. Still, the friendship of her new employer awakens a desire to learn more about presenting her feminine side…but ranch life keeps getting in the way. Ranch owner Jace Kincaid figures the Lord is testing his faith when a female wrangler shows up looking for work. Bobbie has an uncanny way of getting under his skin, though, and he’s surprised when she finds a home next to his heart. But when his cattle begin to go missing and his wranglers are in danger from some low-down cattle thief, will Jace trust God, even if it means giving up his dreams? Mismatched in Texas, by Janice Thompson In the quaint community of Poetry, Texas, Belinda Bauer spies an opportunity. The tiny town is filled with loggers and railroad men in need of wives, so she sets herself up as a marriage broker. At her invitation, potential brides begin to arrive in Poetry. There’s only one problem: Belinda doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing and all the brides marry the wrong men! One client is particularly unhappy. George Kaufman, the local barber, has lost more than one prospective wife to Belinda’s fumbled attempts. For some reason, she just can’t seem to find George’s "perfect match," though it’s not for lack of trying. Is there a poetic ending in store for George— and for Belinda, herself?

    The king sends out an invitation to all the maidens in France: their presence is requested at a number of balls and events that will be held in honor of the dashing Prince Louis, who must choose a bride. Cendrillon de Louvois has more grace, beauty, and charm than anyone else in France. While she was once the darling child of the king's favorite adviser, her father's death has turned her into the servant of her stepmother and cruel stepsisters--and at her own chateau, too! Cendrillon--now called Cinder--manages to evade her stepmother and attend the ball, where she catches the eye of the handsome Prince Louis and his younger brother Auguste. Even though Cendrillon has an immediate aversion to Louis, and a connection with Auguste, the only way to escape her stepmother is to compete with the other women at court for the Prince's hand. Soon, as Cendrillon glows closer to Auguste and dislikes the prince more and more, she will have to decide if she can bear losing the boy she loves in order to leave a life she hates. Melissa de la Cruz takes a lush, romantic hand to this retold fairy tale classic.

    Her own survival soon becomes doubtful when the band’s leader threatens to cast her out onto the steppe for what he sees as dangerous willfulness. Raven feels an unexpected empathy for the mysterious Neanderthal. But while trying to preserve his life and health, will she go so far as to commit what could be the worst error of her own life? Mark Hayek will never find out that Raven faced a frightening dilemma. But if he did know, he would understand that the present reality exists because of choices made in the past. As meticulously researched as Jean Auel’s Earth Children series but with the benefit of recent discoveries, this novella is an updated story revealing how contact between Neanderthals and Early Humans had surprising results.

    A panther runs through the forests of England and pixies prey upon violent men.From the islands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall, the mountains of Galway to the depths of the Fens, these forgotten folktales howl, cackle and sing their way into the 21st century, wildly reimagined by some of the most exciting women writing in Britain and Ireland today.

    A damsel in distress. A concerned father seeking a savior. A hero galloping off to the rescue – a knight in shining armor. Now THAT is stuff of fairy tales. But what if the father’s real concern is for the dragon’s hoard; What if the damsel’s reason of distress is the marriage proposal by her pompous savior; and what if the story is told by the horse who bears not only the overweight knight but also his heavy, shining armor all the way to the dragon’s lair and back, facing certain death in the process?What if there was more – much more – to all your favourite fairy tales than meets the eye?This book chronicles not one but seven such unfairy tales – tales told by undead horsemen and living cities. Tales of mistreated hobgoblins and misunderstood magicians. Tales of disagreeable frogs and distressed mice. And bears baring their souls. Once you read these stories, you will never be able to look at a fairy tale the same way ever again.

    Enigmatic, brooding, and darkly handsome, Thomas Cresswell has always been the one mystery Audrey Rose has never been able to fully solve. As brilliant partners in crime investigation, they understand each other perfectly...but as young lovers, their passionate natures have led to both euphoria and heartbreak throughout the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.This novella features a collection of scenes that takes place during and after the pair's horrifying Atlantic voyage in Escaping From Houdini. Experience new and familiar scenes from Thomas's unique point of view, including an intensely personal look into his plea for Audrey Rose's hand in marriage.With a romance for the ages, Audrey Rose and Thomas reach the conclusion to their epic, irresistible partnership in their final adventure, Capturing the Devil.