When a vampire marries a human, things are bound to get messy... Nothing ruins a rehearsal dinner quite like a passive-aggressive toast from the unhappy mother of the groom. Things go from bad to yikes when she's found reduced to a pile of ashes and couture and the bride is pegged as the one wielding the wooden stake. After years spent working the birthday party and baby shower circuit, Anastasia Winters finally has a corner office and a host of supernatural clients all begging her to plan their special day. But following a brush of bad luck, she finds herself on the brink of losing it all. With an ultimatum from her boss on the table, she knows her next wedding has to be perfect. When the vampy mother of the groom is found dead, the bride goes on the run, and Anastasia is forced head-first into the murder investigation if she has any chance of getting the wedding back on track and keeping her job. Unfortunately, this is...

Amanda Quick's bestselling trademark is a combination of suspense and passion in historical tales alight with sparkling wit and brimming with dangerous intrigue. Now she serves up the most tantalizing novel of her career as an enterprising woman allies herself with a mysterious spy, only to be caught in a seething brew of treachery — and temptation.... From the moment he burst into her antiquities shop in Rome, Lavinia Lake knew the stranger was nothing but trouble. He said he was in pursuit of a killer. He swore he was only trying to save her. Yet no matter what he claimed, Lavinia was convinced that Mr. Tobias March was bent instead on destroying her. And when the self-described spy hustled her and her niece out of the shop and back to England, Lavinia could only hope that one day she would would find a way to repay Mr. March in full. But Lavinia never imagined the shocking circumstances under which they would meet again ... or that soon he would become more deadly — and more compelling — with each passing day. In the business of making private inquiries, Tobias March had been hired to trade down a powerful villain who even now was intent on assuming control of a vast criminal organization. Yet in his search he had found nothing but one dead end — and one dead body — after another. And then, just as his investigation was heating up once more, he found his mission and his life complicated by the most ungovernable, unpredictable, exasperating woman he had ever met. Faced with a tangled web of deceit and danger, Tobias had no choice but to form a partnership with Lavinia, a lady whose past could only be described as slightly shady. Yet when he persuaded her to become his associate, neither Tobias nor Lavinia realized that their heated disputes would spark a sizzling desire — or that the deeper they kept digging for the truth, the deeper they were digging their own graves.... From the Hardcover edition.

If generosity is measured by donations, then Jalen Cole is the most emotionally benevolent author of the decade. Witness what is sure to become the bedrock of this writer's long and lively career as he embarks on a journey of the mind and its many forgetful corners.What would you do if a stranger approached you with the opportunity to go back and change your life one, mistake at a time? What if your reality was indistinguishable from your dreams and it was up to you to decide what was real? What if the only person you ever really loved was never anything more than your mind playing tricks on you? Read as author Jalen Cole navigates the dangerous waters of introspection, self-doubt, and inner discourse in a compilation of his best work to date.

Story about an Alien stopping by earth while his wife and her sister goes shopping at Pluto. And then changes the life of Phillip, a severely depressed human being who is probably a bad representative of the Human race... then again maybe not.Phillip is depressed. His wife has left him with nothing him and his dog, Gravy, with only a few relatively useless possessions. He is contemplating all his morose options for his existence when the door bell rings ...

Size does matter in these delightfully tiny tales populated with narcoleptic drivers, bickering backers, suspicious spouses, and other memorable characters. Full of dark humor, intrigue, and absurdity, this collection of slightly sinister (and occasionally sweet) stories delivers a bite-size reading experience to satisfy any literary craving. 

Paul had a secretive job that he’d always kept hidden from his girlfriend. Eventually their continuous arguing over his job caused them to break up. One night, Paul found himself in need of Norma’s help, and she decided to use her leverage to find out just exactly what he had been hiding. Dark comedy.When Sam Marker ran away from her old life, all she needed was a job and somewhere to live. Anything would do. And then, one fateful day, she saw that the town of Rippon was looking for a new gardener...Unfortunately for Sam, the 'garden' is actually a cemetery, and it just so happens to contain the deadliest grave in the world. As she tries to adjust to her new life in the sleepy little town, Sam finds herself increasingly drawn into a strange double life. Dark forces are gathering in Rippon, seeking access to the Devil's grave, and soon she finds herself trapped in the middle of a struggle that could decide the fate of the world.

Haunted by recent events, Aiden struggles with a debilitating fear of magic. Not a good situation for a changeling who needs to master his powers in order to graduate. He finds a bit of distraction in Hanna, who might like him as something more than a friend.Dylan wishes he could take back his mistake, even as he still dreams of freedom. His guilt over hurting Aiden only grows worse when he realizes how deep the damage goes, and when he tries to protect Aiden from a bully it only lands Dylan in more trouble. Pressure mounts from all sides until the dragonkin feels ready to explode.When a new threat arises, Aiden must use all his magic to save Dylan… and himself.

I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute.That's what bothered me most. This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that.The town of Spindrift is frequented by pirates, Shadow Mages and charlatans. It's also home to the Orphanage School, where Finlay lives with Glim, Taya and Eli. Just outside town is the painfully posh Brathelthwaite Boarding School, home to Honey Bee, Hamish and Victor, Duke of Ainsley. When the two schools compete at the Spindrift Tournament, stakes are high, tensions are higher, and some people are out to win at any cost. Before long, the orphans and the boarding school are in an all-out war.And then Whispering Wars break out, and Spindrift is thrust onto the front lines. Children are being stolen, Witches, Sirens and a deadly magical flu invade the town, and all attempts to fight back are met with defeat.Finlay, Honey Bee and their friends must join forces to...

Toby's mum has been missing for more than a month. His new friend, Ginger, has lost her dad. So how can an abandoned red shoe, an unusual plan and map coordinates help them in their search for their parents? And why is everyone looking for Toby?

Meet the Bedwyns--six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality. Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction--where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal--and where Rannulf Bedwyn, the rebellious third son, enters into a liaison that is rather risqué, somewhat naughty, and--Slightly Wicked. With his laughing eyes and wild, rakish good looks, Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, a woman in need of rescue when her stagecoach overturns, Rannulf is simply her savior, a heroic stranger she will reward with one night of reckless passion before she must become a companion to her wealthy aunt. Imagine Judith's shock when the same stranger turns out to be among England's most eligible bachelors--and when he arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Certainly, they had made no vows, no promises, but Rannulf never did forget his uninhibited lover--nor did she forget that one delicious night. And as scandal sets the household abuzz, Rannulf proposes a solution--but when Judith refuses to have him--in love or wedlock--Rannulf has only one choice: to wage a campaign of pure pleasure to capture the heart of the woman who has already won his.

American privateer Captain Jack isn't really an American, but heir to a viscountcy. When his father dies, he leaves everything not entailed with the estate to his worthless cousin. Jack's only hope of inheriting his mother's ancestral home and honoring her dying wish is to marry and produce an heir before his thirty-fifth birthday—in five months. And he doesn't have a single prospect. Pregnant and unwed, Abigail Halsey is sent by her father to an Anglican convent until he can find a family to adopt his grandchild or a husband for his daughter. Abby has other plans, but they go awry when she goes into labor early and her rescuer, a pirate captain turned lord, insists on marrying her. Is Jack too much like his jealous, unforgiving father? Can Abby overcome her fear of men and have a real marriage? Or will she never be anything more than the unwanted wife of a Slightly Noble Viscount?

Book 5 in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series When her apartment building is blown to smithereens, bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee is forced to move back into the Bed & Breakfast she grew up in. Living with her three meddling aunts is bad enough, but it just so happens that the B&B is also occupied by a U.S. Marshal, an FBI agent, her old friend Zeke who’s on a mysterious mission, and a woman who claims she can see dead people. These aren’t the kinds of roomies Maggie wants to spend time with, considering that in order to pay for her niece’s medical care she supplements her income by killing people. Maggie avoids arrest and deals with a crazier-than-usual home life while trying to track down exactly who is blowing up the holdings of various crime families. To make matters worse, she’s walking a precarious tightrope between keeping her mobster bosses happy and protecting her murder mentor (and almost lover) Patrick Mulligan. Aided by the warped predictions of her semi-psychic friend, her sarcastic, demanding, talking lizard and an always ravenous, dyslexic Doberman, Maggie juggles keeping secrets, unraveling riddles and protecting those she loves. Can she do it all? Or will she suffer yet another unspeakable loss?

Cedar hangs out on the edges of the neighbourhood social circuit with Stinky, her dog and best friend. Things start to change when she meets a boy called Kite and finds they have a lot in common - both have single parents, both are loners with colourful inner lives, both like beanies, dogs and acrobatics. Together they form a circus troupe and put on a dazzling performance that helps to unite their inner-city community. Along the way, Cedar gains some understanding of her missing brother, her hard-working mother, her less-than-perfect father - and herself.More reviews:'vibrates with authenticity', School Library Journal, USA'Cedar's witty, wry voice will seduce even the most cynical', Bulletin with Newsweek

From the next "major voice in Southern fiction" (New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand) comes the first in an all-new series chronicling the journeys of three sisters and their mother—and a secret from their past that has the potential to tear them apart—and reshape their very definition of what it means to be a family.Caroline Murphy swore she'd never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father's death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley. ...

Take three wacky aunts,two talking animals,one nervous bride,and an upcoming hit,and you've got the follow-upto JB Lynn's wickedly funnyConfessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee's to-do list, but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care. But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie's aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend's turned into a bridezilla…and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities—she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back. It's just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman… About the AuthorBesides being a writer, JB Lynn is a compulsive reader, a runner (of sorts), an enthusiastic cook (who doesn't get the appeal of the Food Network), and someone who has an irresistible urge to eavesdrop at all times. JB has a great love of her husband, dogs, coffee, purple ink, spiral notebooks, running gear, hot showers, and '80s music. Given enough time, all of these things will eventually show up in her books.

With two kinds of magick at odds inside her and two gorgeous men vying for her attention, Tammy Jo Trask is used to being pulled in opposite directions. But in the latest Southern Witch novel she'll have to make some serious decisions—like how she intends to stay alive. Tammy Jo's romance with the wizard Bryn Lyons is on hold while her ex-husband is in town trying to remind her of the good old days. Choosing between them isn't easy, and it doesn't help that a skeletal creature is spying on her, a faery knight is hunting her, and she just made friends with Evangeline Rhodes—a rich witch who thinks her own family is trying to kill her. When Evangeline disappears under suspicious circumstances, Tammy Jo is determined to find out what happened. As she uncovers a secret more dangerous—and personal—than she could have imagined, she also discovers that, in both love and magic, you can't stay neutral forever.

October, 1944. It has been a challenging season for Elderberry's favorite first grade teacher, Miss Dimple Kilpatrick. A beloved former student was recently killed in the war, her brother has become distant, and her friend Odessa, the cook at Pheobe's rooming house, has taken a leave of absence to care for a relative. Still, when Dimple's librarian friend, Virginia, finds a young woman, Dora, on the library porch looking for a place to spend the night, soft-hearted Dimple brings her back to Phoebe's and offers her food and a warm coat. But when Dimple is trying to find her a place to sleep, the young girl disappears. The next morning, Miss Dimple answers a knock on the door expecting it to be the girl. Instead, she is greeted by greeted by a somewhat disheveled young woman with lustrous hair and a sunrise of a smile who claims she has been assigned to fill in at the house. Augusta Goodnight, a guardian angel who has been summoned from a well-deserved rest after a series...

Johnny Smith is sick of having the world's most boring name. But Johnny is about to learn a massive secret: he can whisk away to other worlds and go on amazing adventures. Suddenly finding himself as a Pirate, Johnny will summon all his swashbuckling bravery and fearless daring to prove once and for all that Johnny Smith is ANYTHING but boring.

The second funny, touching chapter in the life of Cedar B. Hartley, who plans to be infamous. Cedar's world turns upside down when her almost-boyfriend, Kite, moves to Albury to join a professional circus.Once I was a skinny redhead with a dog called Stinky and a lot of things to find out. Then I met Kite. Kite showed me how to be an acrobat, and I showed him some stuff too. Because I'm always having ideas. I can't help it. Like it was my idea to make a circus with all the others, but, to tell you the truth, I don't know whose idea the kiss was. Some things just happen. Some things are glorious and make you feel like you might just fall in love and some things are terrible, like what happened at the rehearsal. Kite looked at me and I knew a terrible terrible thing was about to happen. I'd better tell you the whole storyCedar B. Hartley - the original, irrepressible, and potentially infamous - is pulled between a glamorous high-flying dream and her own circus of friends,...

Product DescriptionDelilah Reynolds is days away from winning the contract of a lifetime with Torres Corporation. To set her mind at ease her best friend suggests she accompany her to a risqué weekend get-a-way on Cat Island in the Bahamas. Delilah agrees and finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger and an erotic night she will never forget. Soon she discovers her interior design company has not only won the contract, but Roberto Sanchez, her mystery man has stepped back into her life wanting more. No matter how much his sexual demands makes her throw caution to the wind, can she trust what she is feeling?Roberto became captivated by a woman he’d seen once from afar. However, arrival at a close friend’s passion-filled weekend party and seeing the vivacious, auburn-haired, black woman in person flips his world upside down. He’s always preferred to live his life in shadows, secluding himself from the world. After a night of ecstasy with Delilah, she draws him out and makes him desire things he’d long deprived himself for growing success. Now, he’s willing to pull out all the stops until she can’t deny the attraction between them and yearns for something more--something like love.Caution: This story is HIGHLY erotic; once you travel to Cat Island you may discover you don’t want to come back.

On the night that Quinn of the Morning Post began his holiday, he strayed into a late party. When he got drunk, a girl called Carole made herself responsible for him. Next day, she took him off for a quiet weekend with friends in Dorset. But within a few hours, death had joined the guests at Elm Lodge... Inevitably, Quinn gets caught up in the smouldering passions that govern the house of secrets.

They say you'll know when you're in love. What if you don't?Alys, a single parent and certified romantic disaster area, is always falling for unattainable men—the latest one being the dead author of a "borrowed" book of poetry. When she reluctantly returns the book to its rightful owner, she meets Leo. He's very much alive, very much attracted to her and, well, it's love at first sight.Isn't it?After all, she's a single mum with a boring job in a bookshop and, as her daughter puts it, gravity's not going to hold off forever. Leo's got the financial stability she's been craving and he looks like an aftershave advert. So it must be love.Mustn't it?Then there's Piers, whose spontaneity draws her like a magnet. But is it love she feels, or just his infectious love of life? Before she can choose, an unexpected source threatens to lay bare the lie she has been living for the last sixteen years.With happiness close to slipping out of her grasp, Alys is forced...