An embattled realm mystically entwined with our own, the Otherworld is at the mercy of one woman. . . Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful fear. . . But who can she trust to help her? Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her. To control the Crown's all-consuming powers, Eugenie must confront an unimaginable temptation - one which puts her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal danger. . .

In a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, earth's last survivors have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil, that will decide the fate of humanity: Sister, who discovers a strange and transformative glass artifact in the destroyed Manhattan streets . . . Joshua Hutchins, the pro wrestler who takes refuge from the nuclear fallout at a Nebraska gas station . . . and Swan, a young girl possessing special powers, who travels alongside Josh to a Missouri town where healing and recovery can begin with Swan's gifts. But the ancient force behind earth's devastation is scouring the walking wounded for recruits for its relentless army, beginning with Swan herself. . . .

The author of the Georgina Kincaid succubus series returns with a lively new urban fantasy series. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, a sassy shaman soon comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past. Original. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date.

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants. . . Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one--except Eugenie--seems willing to find out why. New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead takes readers back to the Otherworld, an embattled realm mystically entwined with our world--and ruled by one woman's dangerous choice. . .Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear. . .1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own--and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage . . .Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld. . .

**-Reading Order- 1 - KILLING SARAI 2 - REVIVING IZABEL 3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL 4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY 5 - THE BLACK WOLF 6 - BEHIND THE HANDS THAT KILL 7 - SPIDERS IN THE GROVE** Fredrik Gustavsson never considered the possibility of love, or that anyone could ever understand or accept his dark and bloody lifestyle—until he met Seraphina, a woman as vicious and blood-thirsty as Fredrik himself. They spent two short but unforgettable years together, full of lust and killing and the darkest kind of love that two people can share. And then Seraphina was gone. It’s been six years since Fredrik’s lover and sadistic partner in crime turned his world upside-down. Seraphina went into hiding and has eluded him ever since. Now, he’s getting closer to finding her, and an innocent woman named Cassia is the key to drawing Seraphina from the shadows. But Cassia—after sustaining injuries from a fire that Seraphina ignited—suffers from amnesia and can’t give Fredrik the information he desperately seeks. Having no other choice, Fredrik has been keeping Cassia locked in his basement as he not only tries to get her to recall her past—because she and Seraphina share it—but also to protect her from Seraphina, who clearly wants her dead. But Cassia is a light in the darkness that Fredrik never believed existed. After a year subjected to her kindness and compassion, he finds himself struggling with his love for Seraphina, and his growing feelings for Cassia—because he knows that to love one, the other must die. Will light win out over darkness, or will something more powerful than either further destroy an already tortured soul? (Note: THE SWAN & THE JACKAL is NOT a New Adult title. It, and all other books in the series are categorized as Suspense/Crime/Thriller.)

The Alien Huntress series is back with fan favorite AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez from *New York Times* and *USA TODAY* bestselling paranormal romance author Gena Showalter, who doesn’t disappoint with this sizzling hot alpha hero. Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best—and worst—of both. She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bonding her lifeforce to his by effectively marrying him. But the bond will fade without consummation. Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall? **Originally published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology.**

Swan is a nine-year-old Idaho girl following her struggling mother from one trailer park to the next when she receives visions of doom—something far wider than the narrow scope of her own beleaguered life. In a blinding flash, nuclear bombs annihilate civilization, leaving only a few buried survivors to crawl onto a scorched landscape that was once America. In Manhattan, a homeless woman stumbles from the sewers, guided by the prophecies of a mysterious amulet, and pursued by something wicked; on Idaho’s Blue Dome Mountain, an orphaned boy falls under the influence of depraved survivalists and discovers the value of a killer instinct; and amid the devastating dust storms on the Great Plains of Nebraska, Swan forms a heart-and-soul bond with an unlikely new companion. Soon they will cross paths. But only Swan knows that they must endure more than just a trek across an irradiated country of mutated animals, starvation, madmen, and wasteland warriors. Swan’s visions tell of a coming malevolent force. It’s a shape-shifting embodiment of the apocalypse, and of all that is evil and despairing. And it’s hell-bent on destroying the last hope of goodness and purity in the world. Swan is that hope. Now, she must fight not only for her own survival, but for that of all mankind. A winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a finalist for the World Fantasy Award, Swan Song has become a modern classic, called “a chilling vision that keeps you turning pages to the shocking end” by John Saul and “a long, satisfying look at hell and salvation” by Publishers Weekly.

A Hollywood millionaire with a terror of death, whose personal physician happens to be working on a theory of longevity-these are the elements of Huxley's caustic and entertaining satire on man's desire to live indefinitely. "A highly sensational plot that will keep astonishing you to practically the final sentence." -"The New Yorker."

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own--and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage . . .Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld. . . The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon--and risk the ultimate sacrifice. . .Praise for Richelle Mead's Storm Born. . ."My kind of book--great characters, dark worlds, and just the right touch of humor. A great read." --Patricia Briggs, New York Times Bestselling Author

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one - except Eugenie - seems willing to find out why. Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction.

Kristine and Nate have an argument, and decide to break up in the end.Kristine and Nate have an argument, and decide to break up in the end. A story of how love changes over time.

Fairy tales for our times from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The HoursA poisoned apple and a monkey's paw with the power to change fate; a girl whose extraordinarily long hair causes catastrophe; a man with one human arm and one swan's wing; and a house deep in the forest, constructed of gumdrops and gingerbread, vanilla frosting and boiled sugar. In A Wild Swan and Other Tales, the people and the talismans of lands far, far away—the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder—are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation. Here are the moments that our fairy tales forgot or deliberately concealed: the years after a spell is broken, the rapturous instant of a miracle unexpectedly realized, or the fate of a prince only half cured of a curse. The Beast stands ahead of you in line at the convenience store, buying smokes and a Slim Jim, his...

Trapped in another dimension on a primitive version of Earth with a ship that needs major repairs. Meanwhile, the crew are at each other's throats, there's a murderer on board, and an alien super race is breathing down their necks. Just another day in Corps!'We obey the same laws of mathematics' is a chapbook of thirteen poems by author Sarah Grace Logan. This debut collection features a baker’s dozen of ocean-going poems, riddled with syphilitic beauty and speculative horrors. From lonesome shores to the mid-Atlantic refuse sprawl, Sarah Grace Logan imagines the world dissolving in front of us, and the ocean claiming back the world we've clawed from its depths. Her poetry discusses love, feminism, extinction and climate change, and challenges human privilege over nature. The author lives and works in Manchester, and is fascinated with exploring gender and identity in her writing. She started writing poetry in 2013 and recently won the Prole Laureate Poetry Prize 2014 with her poem 'Not all bees make honey'. She has also published a chapbook of flash fiction called 'Humping the Boonies'.Praise for Humping the Boonies (flash fiction chapbook):“Haunting and sexy in equal measures. Every story is a little mystery that left me wanting more.”“Her characters are always interesting and deeply layered, and real.”

Gilberic Parzival Moth is a strange and lonely boy who has grown up without a father, raised by a single mother who moves from town to town in fear of something she will not name. His only friends are animals, with whom he has always been able to speak. But when he awakens one night at the Thirteenth Hour, and sees for the first time the cruel reality of the secret rule of Elf over Man, he begins to learn about his true heritage, the heritage of Twilight. And when his mother finally tells him the terrible truth of her past, he must choose whether to continue running with her in fear, or learning how to fight against ancient powers that are ageless, soulless, and ultimately damned. SWAN KNIGHT'S SON is the first book of THE GREEN KNIGHT'S SQUIRE, the first volume of MOTH & COBWEB, an astonishing new series about magical worlds of Day, Night, and Twilight by John C. Wright. John C. Wright is one of the living grandmasters of science fiction and the author of THE GOLDEN AGE, AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, and IRON CHAMBER OF MEMORY, to name just three of his exceptional books. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award, for the Hugo Award, and his novel SOMEWHITHER won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel at Dragoncon.

Swan Songs is the first installment of ‘The Stardust Diaries.’ Tarn Swan details life with his transgender partner, Jonathan Lane, aka, Stardust Twinkles. Twinkles is beautiful, complex, impulsive, a diva, demanding, loving, bitchy, jealous, emotional and sometimes just plain naughty. Tarn does his best to keep his unique partner in line.

She was only aware of one thing, and he was consuming her. Connor Reid is complex. An alpha, taller and stronger than anyone else, who has never lost a fight. But the truth is, this grizzly bear shifter is as sweet as a summer breeze and shy as a prairie dog. He never planned to stay in Shifter Town. Then something happened that rocked his world. Lily Amaretto hasn't known much kindness in her life, and never from a man. When she accepts a job working for the scariest male she's ever seen, it's about survival and redemption. She doesn't want to spend her life afraid of shadows, but did she really have to start with the most lethal man in existence? What do two shy souls do when they want each other badly, but aren't quite sure how make it happen? Shifter Town is about to find out... Bear Essentials is the fourth book in Novalee Swan's Shifter Town series. It features her trademark heat and...

After brilliantly reimagining the worlds of Oz, Wonderland, Dickensian London, and the Nutcracker, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked turns his unconventional genius to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans," transforming this classic tale into an Italian-American girl's poignant coming-of-age story, set amid the magic of Christmas in 1960s New York.Following her brother's death and her mother's emotional breakdown, Laura now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in a lonely townhouse she shares with her old-world, strict, often querulous grandparents. But the arrangement may be temporary. The quiet, awkward teenager has been getting into trouble at home and has been expelled from her high school for throwing a record album at a popular girl who bullied her. When Christmas is over and the new year begins, Laura may find herself at boarding school in Montreal. Nearly unmoored from reality through her panic and submerged grief,...

A young prince must flee for his life when jealous brothers try to kill him. His journey leads him to examine himself, to discover the difference between right and wrong, and to question whether he really wants to fight for what is his own. In the process he discovers love and is faced with the challenge of duty versus desire.“The Cygnet grows into a Swan...and the Falcon shall not hunt forever.”Teenage Sheiji-Yueng is the youngest prince in the Imatsuran palace. Accustomed to complete freedom and being ignored by the rest of the palace inhabitants, he has little need—or desire—to grow up. When his father, on his deathbed, unexpectedly names him successor to the throne, Sheiji must cross the line from childhood into adulthood. Guided by the gentle hand of the late king’s advisor, Sheiji finds himself looking forward to the day he will rule Imatsuro. However, two jealous brothers stand in the way and won’t give up the kingdom without a fight.Forced to flee for his life, Sheiji is suddenly driven into the outside world with little knowledge of its people or customs. As a pampered prince, Sheiji has never needed the skills his life now depends upon—quick thinking, innate instincts, even just the will to survive. Beginning to enjoy his new life a little too much, he must make a decision. Does he continue his carefree life as a street boy with his newfound soul mate, or return to his own people who are counting on their king to save them from a tyrannical usurper?

The Death of Estelle Royce and The Terrible Troll S & S Investigations #5 When Charlotte Babcock's grandmother Estelle dies unexpectedly, she takes the case to S & S Investigations. Charlotte, unlike anyone else, believes the death to be suspicious, and she has three somewhat surprising suspects to offer up: Estelle's children. Meanwhile Paige and Sophie have another intriguing case on the books: a woman being hounded by an anonymous enemy. As the messages get both more noxious and aggressive, they race to discover the troll's identity. Paige and Sophie have two exciting cases to get stuck into, but as usual, there are enemies working behind the scenes to sabotage them.Can they solve both cases as well as overcome their personal obstacles? Squirrel & Swan Wicked Things is book five in the S & S Investigations series, a light-hearted mystery...

A young boy discovers he's able to take the splendors of his dreams into the real world. One night he finds a mysterious young girl laying with him.Sixteen-year old Confucius Clementine is a dreamer devoid of a social life and engulfed in the world of fantastical video games. But after suffering a concussion he discovers that he's been granted an unthinkable power... the ability to bring anything he so desires from his dreams into the real world. He creates a new persona called the dream savior to heroically transform the world, but upon awakening one night, he finds in his bed with him a mysterious girl, Rosewielder, the Fair Elf Princess. Confucius and Rosewielder learn that they're part of a magical but perilous world of vampires, elves, dragons, all the things of folklore and legend, veiled just beneath the commonplace. Rosewielder struggles to adapt to suburbia, slicing televisions in half with her sword and destroying giant serpents, whereas Confucius is mesmerized by the fair elf's radiant beauty, all the while, dark spirits forcing them to take up their arms as warriors to protect each other and the world.

A re-telling of Pride and Prejudice... re-imagined with mystery and intrigue along the way! (Book 2 of a Four-Part Series)Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters are excited by the prospect of the Netherfield masquerade ball--they're looking forward to enchantment and romance and maybe even a wedding proposal too! But their anticipation is overshadowed by the arrival of mysterious gifts from the Orient and the discovery of a deadly curse. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is hiding a guilty secret about her encounter with a charming rogue and still struggling to understand her feelings for Mr Darcy. The handsome, aloof gentleman may be a master at solving mysteries, but what are his intentions towards her heart?A romantic Regency mystery inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice! This is the second book in the Dark Darcy Mysteries - a Pride and Prejudice variation combining intrigue and romance. * Each book in this series features a standalone mystery which is resolved, but the overall story of Darcy and Elizabeth's courtship is told over the 4 books of the series.The Netherfield Affair (Book 1)Intrigue at the Ball (Book 2)The Poisoned Proposal (Book 3)Secrets at Pemberley (Book 4)Other books by Penelope Swan:Darcy RevealedDarcy's WagerDarcy's Christmas Wish

Opening an investigations agency is harder than it looks on TV.With two solved cases and a promising new corporate gig, Paige and Sophie are finally getting somewhere. But life keeps throwing up distractions for the detective duo. Sophie meets an unexpected family member and Paige cannot ignore the strange behaviour of the woman next door. And while Paige tries to make sense of an alarming pattern, Sophie pulls at a thread and unravels a mess.They've both discovered devious schemes, but can they reveal the culprits before it's too late?Devious Things is the second book in the S & S Investigations series, start with Squirrel & Swan: Precious Things

A bar. A game of pool. A bet... When grizzly shifter Bear Reid arrives in Rosewood, Tennessee, he doesn't expect to find a luscious redhead waiting tables and fending off barflies with sugar-coated threats. She's a ray of sunshine in purgatory and he wants her. Bad. So he buys the bar. Kelly McKenna has a head for numbers, but she takes one look at her enigmatic new boss—all malt hair and whiskey eyes—and finally understands what it means to crave. Eventually, sweet flirtation leads to a not-so-sweet game of pool. And a bet. Winner takes all. But there's something Kelly doesn't know about Bear. A secret that could destroy her trust and her heart forever. Bear Temptation is the first book in Novalee Swan's Shifter Town series. It features her trademark heat and emotional intensity and is perfect for readers who love shifter romance and small town...

A re-telling of Pride and Prejudice... re-imagined with mystery and intrigue along the way! (Book 3 of a Four-Part Series)When Elizabeth Bennet arrives at Hunsford Parsonage to visit her newlywed friend, she is horrified to find Charlotte accused of poisoning her husband’s patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Determined to prove her friend’s innocence, Elizabeth begins her own investigation and soon discovers that Lady Catherine has many enemies. Would one of them stoop to murder? When her search for answers is challenged by the handsome, austere Mr Darcy, Elizabeth braces herself for a battle of wills, but he surprises her with a proposal of a very different kind…

VIPER must extract seven persons of interest from a UN world on the brink of civil war.Ariadne has been abandoned. As the UN reels from multiple Ascendancy attacks and cedes hundreds of lightyears of territory, Solar Operations Command has initiated a policy of "Strategic Sacrifice". Hundreds of colonies across the Outer Ring will be left to their fate as the UN Fleet desperately rallies. With six hours to go until the provar arrive, VIPER must extract seven persons of interest from two cities on Ariadne. Except, with the planet on the brink of civil war, the arrival of the Ascendancy is the least of their worries…

The Face in the Window and the Noises in the NightA charming prequel novella to the S & S Investigations series. Best friends Paige and Sophie will soon graduate with PhDs in psychology. But before they start thinking about what the future holds, a break!They take up an invitation to stay at a beautiful holiday home in the Coromandel, both excited for a week of cocktails, barbecues, walks along the beach, and chilling out. But when they meet the people staying next door—a fading American actress, her devoted husband and her nervous assistant—things get interesting. Faced with a slew of curious events, Paige and Sophie find themselves wondering about their neighbours.And then things take a sinister turn... Squirrel & Swan Curious Things takes place about six months before book one of the S & S Investigations series but can be enjoyed at any time....

The "lyrical" conclusion to the enthralling medieval trilogy from the author of Swan Bride and Swan Witch (Library Journal). During a moonlit swim, Arrah of Myr finds herself at the mercy of Traeth of Rhune. Headstrong and bold, Traeth quickly seizes the now helpless Arrah and carries her to Rhune Castle, in the world of men. There the handsome knight showers her with gifts and kisses, awakening a wild passion between mortal and swan maiden—the otherworld beauty he vows never to let go. But such a dire crime means a fearsome penalty, and Traeth cannot long escape the Swan Sisters' wrath at Arrah's abduction. They decree he must die if he fails at an extraordinary quest—to find what all women desire most. The journey will test him completely, but will he discover what he seeks in time to win Arrah's heart?

Tarn Swan returns with more everyday tales of life, love, laughter and drama with his beloved husband Jonathan aka Stardust Twinkles.

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism. Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

The Disappearance of Polly Dixon and The Persistent Pet Napper."Funny and insightful."Best friends Paige and Sophie are putting their psychology skills to the test – they've opened an investigations agency. They'll be a detective duo like no other! At least, that's what Paige believes. No one else thinks they'll make something of this new and unexpected venture. But why wouldn't they be a success? Paige understands the mechanics of the mind and Sophie can read behaviour like a book. They're a little light on investigative experience or, erm, practical life skills, but they make up for it with intelligence, tenacity, and diligence. After a couple of frustrating months without even a whiff of a client, they finally get a break. Someone is kidnapping pets, and the head of the Remuera Ladies Bridge Club wants them to find out who. As they start investigating with gusto, the possibility of another case appears....

Magic happens when love is true.Lena thought she'd found a prince when Charles rescued her four-year-old half-brother from the waters of the Serpentine. A simple boating accident sparks romance, but the man of her dreams seems to be hiding something. They're both unemployed — times are hard — but there's something else he's not telling her.One night, Lena sneaks back into Hyde Park to find out if Charles is secretly camping in the park and gets the surprise of her life!How far is Lena willing to go to rescue the man she's fallen for?

With an invisible girl, a parliament of owls and a pen that writes by itself, the journey to the Garden of the Midnight Swan might be Seren's most dangerous adventure yet. In this third book of the award-winning The Clockwork Crow series, Seren and Tomos must try to help the Crow find the way back to his human form. But why is Captain Jones enquiring about Seren's past? How have the sinister Fair Family gate-crashed the Midsummer Ball, and what is the one desire of the mysterious Midnight Swan?

Jonathan springs a couple of surprises on his boyfriend Tarn. The first surprise leaves Tarn shell shocked, but on the second occasion it’s Jonathan who gets a shock. Tarn takes a trip down memory lane and tells the tale of how his boyfriend Jonathan Lane comes out to him as Stardust Twinkles. He also details his own 'coming out.' Coming Out is a supplement to ‘Swan Songs’

It's Valentine's Day Eve and Mina is in Las Vegas for a conference about shelters and refuges for abandoned cats. And the conference is at The Venetian Hotel. Love is in the air. Unfortunately so is the love of her life, Diego, who is flying to a distant meeting. Or is he?Cats, lovers, gondolas on and off the tracks. A bride, definitely off the tracks, and Sin City, the perfect blend for a Valentine's Day read.

At a glamorous masquerade ball in an opulent mansion the elite gather to celebrate the introduction of one of their own to society. But the guests of this party aren't all knights in shining armor. And tonight, Lucia DeMarco and Salvatore Benedetti will meet in a chance encounter one year before the contract that makes her his is to be fulfilled. A version of The Swan Princess was originally published in Dark Fairy Tales: A Midnight Dynasty Anthology. It is a short prequel into the Benedetti Mafia world.

When Elizabeth Bennet discovers that her sister, Lydia, has risked her reputation by staking a wager against one of London's most notorious rakes, she races to prevent a scandal before shame and ruin befall her family. But saving her own sister could mean sacrificing another: the sister of the handsome, aloof Mr Darcy. Can Elizabeth make a choice between her family and the man she loves? From the pleasure gardens of Vauxhall to the gambling dens of Piccadilly, join Darcy and Elizabeth as they banter, dance, and fall in love in this Regency romance for Jane Austen fans everywhere.DARCY'S WAGER is a sweet, clean, full-length standalone Pride and Prejudice variation romance, inspired by Jane Austen's novel.Praise for Penelope Swan:"Penelope Swan has captured the essence of the characters and their "voices" so well that one would think the text was written by Jane Austen, herself." ~ Ingrid Holzman"Jane...

Aria Abbott has never had a home. Drifting through the foster system for most of her life, she finally finds herself in a situation so unbearable that she has no choice but to run away. Sleeping on the streets pushes Aria beyond any suffering she has felt before; the only thing worse than seeing no escape is the knowledge that no one in the world cares enough to try and find her. Enter Taylor, a homeless young man with a charismatic smile and a dream of fame, fortune, and the sunshine of LA. Swept up in his energy, Aria and Taylor board a greyhound bus and never look back.In this bright new world, Aria will discover a whole community of people living in the shadows, in the margins of society. As Taylor follows his dreams, Aria follows her heart. But she will discover that it isn't always clear who you can trust, that strangers can be kind, or treacherous, or sometimes as familiar as your own reflection, if you're willing to look hard enough.

One man has never been enough for me. Three men… and I’m just getting started. I’d noticed wickedly gorgeous, panty-dropping Boone Gentry from the moment he’d walked into Last Call, the tavern where I worked. I’d only been carrying cocktails for a few weeks, but every Saturday night Boone was a fixture at the bar getting shit-faced until closing. That was until a woman abandoned her baby on the barstool next to his, claiming he might be the daddy. I found myself getting tangled up with not only Boone, but his two equally outstanding looking cousins, Tucker and Vince, who seemed to not only share their incredibly successful tech business and their luxury ranch, but also their women… just whose baby was this? I’d stay until they learned the truth, then I was outta there. Nanny duty by day, and oh-so-hot nights dripping with intoxicating pleasure that exceeded even my most wickedly dirty fantasies spoiled me for anything resembling normal. I couldn’t stay… I shouldn’t stay… this thing we shared would certainly never last… or would it? Triple Daddy Heat is a sizzling, stand-alone cowboy reverse harem romance. It’s rich with sexy ménage scenes, single and multiple partner scenes, and all done with a touch of humor that just might melt your Kindle. As with all my books, a HEA is always guaranteed… Thanks for reading!

Midnight in the Snow is the story of a forbidden attraction in the dramatic surroundings of the snow-covered Austrian Alps, by the internationally bestselling author Karen Swan.It's the red carpet life for film-maker Clover Phillips. Her documentary on surfer Cory Allbright is winning awards around the globe for shining a spotlight on life after his tragic accident. Now she can pick and choose her next subject.Then a storm blows in and everything changes. Cory is dead and his widow needs answers. Clover makes a promise to find out the truth about what happened the day his life fell apart, turning her attention to the man responsible for his accident, disgraced surfing champion Kit Foley. Rejected by the sport he loves, he's starting over as a snowboarder in the Austrian Alps and he wants nothing to do with the film - but his new sponsor has other ideas; soon Clover and her team are shadowing him both on the slopes and in the chalet.It's dislike at first sight...

No one ever called Delia Dukes by her real name. Instead, they called her Duck, because, as everyone said, she was the ugly one. Her older sister, Merline, was the perfect one - beautiful, precocious, well mannered. Merline was the pride of Greenville, Texas's Negro community, and Duck was just her unfortunate-looking younger sister. But Duck was smarter than anyone expected, and, growing up in her small, segregated town in the 1930s and 1940s, she knew secrets. In fact, she knew the biggest secret of all: the fact that her seventeen-year-old sister was pregnant by Greenville's heir apparent, Kenny Banks.When she was seventeen, Duck took her secrets to Chicago, where she cleaned jazz clubs and dreamed about singing on stages instead of cleaning them. By 1960, Duck was known on the Chicago jazz scene as Delia Dukes, a middling singer who didn't quite have what it took to play the Blue Note, but who did quite well in the city's second-tier clubs. By 1970, Duck and Merline's...

Gilberic Parzival Moth is a strange and lonely boy who has grown up without a father, raised by a single mother who moves from town to town in fear of something she will not name. His only friends are animals, with whom he has always been able to speak. And after surviving his bewildering encounter with the two kings of Elfland and their many strange and wonderful and terrible subjects, as chronicled in FEAST OF THE ELFS, Gilberic finds himself honor-bound to travel to a house of living death called the Green Chapel. Accompanied only by his faithful dog and following the directions of a talking horse, Gilberic must go against his beloved mother's wishes and go in search of the Green Knight, the mysterious giant who is said to dwell in the chapel, and whom he had previously beheaded. SWAN KNIGHT'S SWORD is the third and final book of THE GREEN KNIGHT'S SQUIRE, the first volume of MOTH & COBWEB, an astonishing new series about magical worlds of Day, Night, and Twilight by John C. Wright. John C. Wright is one of the living grandmasters of science fiction and the author of THE GOLDEN AGE, AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, and IRON CHAMBER OF MEMORY, to name just three of his exceptional books. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award, for the Hugo Award, and his novel SOMEWHITHER won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel at Dragoncon.

A teenage refugee adapts to a new country, a new language, new school and even finds a wonderful best friend, until the pressures of past and present collide and lead to a lie that changes everything.

Set in a snow-covered Cotswolds village, The Christmas Postcards is the unmissable, spellbinding new book from the Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan.'The queen of destination fiction' – Woman & HomeThe right words can change everything . . .It had been a make-or-break holiday for their marriage, but Natasha and Rob's rekindled romance is short-lived when their daughter's beloved soft toy disappears on the journey home. As Natasha comforts her distraught child, she turns to social media for help. Miraculously, the toy is found, but it has become the lucky mascot of a man named Duffy, who is thousands of miles away trekking in Nepal.When Duffy promises to keep Natasha updated with pictures, a correspondence begins that soon becomes more meaningful. Sometimes, Natasha feels this stranger half way across the world understands her more than the man lying next to her.But as the weeks pass and Duffy heads deeper into the...

The Stardust Diaries are unique - they're a soap opera, a domestic drama, a comedy and a thoroughly entertaining and often moving love story. Going to the Chapel takes up Tarn and Twinkle’s story from June 2006 Has Twinkles forsaken Tarn for another? Who was the trusted friend of Tarn’s he slept with? Is Tarn's new date destined to replace Twinkles in his affection?

"You can't come in here. It's breaking and entering. You're the law." Lion shifter Cage Delgado is the law in Shifter Town. He's not afraid to lay it all on the line to protect his town or the woman he secretly adores. Ashley Ames is a sweet-tempered lioness who works admin in the local law enforcement offices and indulges in secret fantasies about the town's sexy sheriff. Ash is convinced she's too timid to keep Cage's interest for long, so she refuses to act on their burning attraction. But things are changing in Shifter Town. Because Ash is about to come into heat. Caging Ash is the second book in Novalee Swan's Shifter Town series. It features her trademark heat and emotional intensity and is perfect for readers who love sexy shifter romance and small town charm. About This SeriesRosewood, Tennessee—or Shifter Town, as the locals...

A stellar assymbly of many of today's most creative and accomplished storytellers has gathered around the tribal fire to embroider well-worn yarns with new golden thread. Black Swan, White Raven revisits the tales that charmed, enthralled, and terrified us in our early youth - carrying us aloft into the healthy, beating heart of cherished myth to tell once again the stories of Rumpelstiltskins and sleeping beauties, only this time from an edgy, provocative and distinctly adult perspective. The themes and archetypes of our beloved childhood fiction are reexamined in a darker light by 21 superb teller of tales who deftly uncover the ironic, the outrageous, the enigmatic and the erotic at the core of the world's best-known fables, while revealing the sobering truths and lies behind "happily ever after."

The third novel in Richard Swan's acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy triumphantly concludes the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one.  THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND   The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.   To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.   Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane—but such allegiances carry a heavy price.   As the battlelines are...

Latium 310 BC. In book 9 of his famous History of Rome Livy tells how the Romans, drained by their expansionist war against the Samnites in the south, were in need of a victory and rich booty.Latium 310 BC. In book 9 of his famous History of Rome Livy tells how the Romans, drained by their expansionist war against the Samnites in the south, were in need of a victory and rich booty. The most alluring prey within easy reach were the wealthy Etruscans just to their north but these were protected by the impenetrable barrier of the Cimina Mountains, reputedly haunted by evil spirits and demons. Marcus Fabius Cesus, brother to one of the consuls for the year and a well-known general, volunteers to seek a path through the wilderness. In Livy’s words“He had been brought up in Caere, and was thoroughly conversant with the Etruscan language and literature. There is authority for asserting that at that time Roman boys were, as a rule, instructed in Etruscan literature as they now are in Greek, but I think the probability is that there was something remarkable about the man who displayed such boldness in disguising himself and mingling with the enemy. He is said to have been accompanied by only one servant, and during their journey they only made brief inquiries as to the nature of the country and the names of its leading men, lest they should make some startling blunder in conversing with the natives and so be found out. They went disguised as shepherds, with their rustic weapons, each carrying two bills and two heavy javelins. But neither their familiarity with the language nor the fashion of their dress nor their implements afforded them so much protection as the impossibility of believing that any stranger would enter the Ciminian forest.”This is the tale of Marcus’ extraordinary journey; the tale of his slave, Janu, and his love for Orphea; the tale of the mysterious origins of the Etruscan race; the tale of the immortal priestesses, daughters of the god Arius, waiting to fulfill their sacred mission; the tale of Hanibald, the middle-eastern mystic who seeks religious solace in his lonely hermitage; but most of all it is the tale of the Etruscan civilisation’s swansong.Pier Isa della Rupe is steeped in the lore of her native Cimina mountains and this book is the fruit of careful research, accurate down to the last detail. But scholarship fades into the background as the reader is swept along on a torrent of rich, descriptive language perhaps rare in our minimalist-inspired age. This is no dry history but a visionary tale, a magical evocation of a place and its people, an inspired flow of words which I personally found an intense pleasure to translate. I hope that many people will be able to have the pleasure of reading it.PIER ISA DELLA RUPEETRUSCAN SWAN SONGCHAPTER 1Legend has it that Thetia, the famous Sybil of the Sacred Forests of the Cimina mountains, lived isolated from the world for thousands of years in a dark, windswept cavern under the gaunt Acqua Zita crag to the north of the Cimini Mountain chain. Her only companions were wolves, bears and a beautiful white lion that her mother, the nymph Athea, had given her. Her den was an intricate labyrinth of tunnels hollowed out of the volcanic rock which stretched down to where a hot spring bubbled from the bowels of the earth. Among her collection of archaic documents written on palm leaves an ancient roll was found, half scorched, which claimed in mysterious verse that the world was created from the Cimina mountains.

* Karen Swan's 20th novel *In Costa Rica, amid startling white beaches and hot, dense rainforests, the luxurious world of the super-rich butts up against something darker, something sinister. . .Tara Tremain has worked hard to leave the controlling grasp of her extremely affluent family far behind. With her own career in medicine, she doesn't need the Tremains' expectations weighing her down any more. But pulled back into the family's orbit one last time for an unmissable party in the jungles of Costa Rica, she finds herself flung into action: a local boy is desperately ill and she must trek for days into the jungle to save his life. What Tara could never have predicted is that the one person who can help her in this impossible journey is Alex Carter, the man who destroyed her life ten years ago . . .

Action, intrigue, and magic collide in the second book in an epic fantasy trilogy, where Sir Konrad Vonvalt’s role as an Emperor’s Justice requires him to be a detective, judge, and executioner all in one—but these are dangerous times to be a Justice . . .   A Justice’s work is never done.  The Battle of Galen’s Vale is over, but the war for the Empire’s future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum’s authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.     Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor’s grandson has been kidnapped - and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him – and his allies Helena,...

In the blink of an eye, Karina Ashworth lost everything. But in the pits of her despair, she finds a new purpose—a reason to keep living. Uilleam Runehart might have shown her how ruthless he could be, but she's no longer the girl he once knew. No longer innocent and blind to the cruelties of the world, she's now a woman fueled by vengeance and fury. And by the time she finishes with him, an empire will fall. His actions have consequences, and she would be his reckoning. From Romantic Suspense Author, London Miller, comes the third installment in the Kingmaker Saga following a woman with nothing to lose and the man who will never see her coming.

From internationally bestselling author Karen Swan comes The Hidden Beach, an addictive story of heartbreak, loyalty and hope, set in the historic city of Stockholm and along the beautiful archipelagos of the Swedish coast. In the oldest part of Stockholm, Bell Everhurst is working as a nanny for an affluent family. Hanna and Max Von Greyerz are parents to 7 year-old Linus, and 5-year old twins Ellinor and Tilde, and Bell has been with the family for over two years.One early Spring morning, as she's rushing out to take the children to school, she answers the phone – and everything changes. A woman from a clinic she's never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna's husband is awake.Bell is confused. She clearly just saw Max walking out of the house a few minutes earlier, but the woman mentioned Hanna by name...When she gets hold of her employer, the truth is revealed: Hanna's first husband fell into a coma seven years earlier,...

Cursed forever to be an ugly duckling in the shadows… my beauty and magic hidden away from the light… Thom has owned me for so many years; he loves me for my beauty, although you wouldn’t know for how often he leaves bruises upon my skin. And if I even think of shifting? That’s what the worst punishments are reserved for. My body aches to let my feathers out, for my wings to stretch to the sky and to feel the sweet relief of the world disappearing beneath me…but I’m trapped, locked up, and hidden away. None of the swans Thom keeps are allowed to show their true colors, but it’s worse for me because I’m the only one of us who’s different. Black wings, fragile heart, and legs that won’t stop dancing in the dark… Thom would kill me if I ever used my magic to escape. I am his Dark Swan, after all. I’ll always belong to him. But then one day, freedom calls in the distance. My carriage spills over, and death comes for me…and introduces me to four shifters who will save my life, just as surely as I will save theirs. A bear, a lion, a jaguar, and a wolf, all as broken and as destructive as me. It’s with them I find out I was never meant for the light, and that freedom is found in the depths of the dark.

Blending banalities of everyday human routines and dilemmas with elements of fairy tales, magic, the macabre and the downright inventive, Katherine Fawcett's fiction is anything but predictable.In this collection, reimagined folktales appear alongside stories entirely new, serving to defamiliarize us from the undeniably odd tales we continue to pass down generation after generation, and lend a vague familiarity to the stories of Fawcett's invention.One of the three little pigs launches a line of high-end, easy-to-prepare, wolf broth–based meals. The Devil is on a mission to steal a child's soul, but is distracted when he develops a massive crush on the day-care worker. A man stands in the shower contemplating his future when he discovers tiny mushrooms growing in his body's various nooks and crannies.Fawcett's wry humour and prodigious imagination are an addictive mix. The weird becomes normal, and the normal, fascinating. Subverting expectations...

An RWA Best Historical Fantasy Romance—second in the enchanting medieval trilogy from the author of Swan Bride. As the setting sun haloed her flame-colored hair, beautiful Eithne glowed with netherworld witchery, her gentle nature clouded by the black magic of the Druid father who held her mother imprisoned. Having vowed never to speak, she could not cry a warning to the handsome knight who, by entering the gates of Rath Morna, had sealed his fate. With his raven-black hair braided like that of a king, Bron mac Llyr has traveled the land searching for the famed Swan Sister who is blessed with the powers to heal his battle wounds. Instead he finds a place of dark enchantment, a trap of lies and illusions, and an exotic, ethereal woman so lovely he burns to possess her. Bron vows to unveil the sorrowful secret that burdens Eithne's heart. Now she must chance exchanging her father's evil reign for the greater hazards of desire and so...

The Stardust Diaries 3rd January to 31st May 2006 A follow up to ‘Swan Songs…extracts from my life with Stardust Twinkles.’ What will 2006 have in store for Tarn and his transgender partner Twinkles? Only time and Tarn will tell. Funny, romantic and endearing, take another trip with Tarn and Twinks.

Example in this ebookCHAPTER I.THE TRAVELLERS.Towards the close of a bleak grey February afternoon, in the year 1638, a small party of travellers might have been seen approaching Edinburgh by the high road from Glasgow. It consisted of a sturdy brown pony, whereon sat a fair-faced, sunny-haired little girl, whose age could not have exceeded nine years; a bright-faced, bold-looking lad, walking at the animal\'s head, and having the bridle-rein hung loosely over his arm; and a middle-aged gentleman, whose aspect and attire proclaimed him a clergyman. He walked slowly, a little apart from the others, and his hands were clasped before him, and his eyes bent thoughtfully on the ground. He was a man somewhat past his prime, of a noble and manly bearing, with a fine open countenance, and a speaking eye, wherein dwelt a singularly sweet and benevolent expression.The shadows of evening were already beginning to gather over the surrounding scene, making objects at a distance somewhat indistinct.Yet, truly, there was little at that season of the year to refresh the eye or gladden the heart. The icy hand of winter had scarcely yet relaxed its grasp on mother earth; there were no green buds on hedge or tree; no blades of promise springing up by the wayside: all was desolate, bleak, and cold. Yet the newly upturned furrows smelt fresh and sweet, and the purling brooks wandered cheerfully on their way; singing their song of gladness, as if they knew that spring was close at hand. Presently the little party ascended a gentle eminence, and then many lights were seen twinkling not far ahead."See, father, are yon the lights of Edinburgh?" exclaimed the lad, in his eagerness letting go his hold on Roger\'s rein.The minister raised his head, and a light kindled in his eye as he looked upon the clustering roof-trees and towering spires of the beautiful city."Yes, my son, that is Edinburgh," he said in his full, mellow tones. "Thanks be to the Lord who hath brought us thither in safety. Would my little Agnes like to walk now? The evening dews are falling, and methinks a little exercise would do you no harm. Very soon now you will be warmed and cheered by the ruddy glow by Aunt Jean\'s fireside."As he spoke, the minister turned to Roger (who at a word from his master stood perfectly still), and gently lifted his little daughter to the ground. It was then seen that her figure was very slight and fragile, her face pale and refined-looking, her whole expression thoughtful and even sad beyond her years."Are you wearied, David?" asked the kind father then; but the lad drew himself up proudly, and shook his head."Wearied! no, no, father. I could walk back to Inverburn, I believe, without resting.""Keep within the bounds, my boy," said the minister. "See, lead Roger down to yon little pool, and let him drink. The poor animal is thirsty and wayworn. Then we will make what haste we can into the city, which will of necessity be in somewhat of a turmoil to-night, owing to the many strangers within her gates.""Father, will there be a great crowd and a noise in Edinburgh?" asked the little Agnes, somewhat timidly and holding yet more closely by her father\'s hand."There will be a crowd, my daughter, but no unseemly noise, I trust. The occasion upon which the nation is assembled in her ancient capital is too solemn for vain clamourings," said the minister, somewhat sadly; and as his eyes once more roamed over the spreading roof-trees of the city, they were filled with tears. The little Agnes, too young to understand the cause of his emotion, still more closely clasped his hand, and looked with awe into his face."I wish it would not grow dark so soon, father," said David, now returning from watering the pony. "We will see nothing of Edinburgh till to-morrow."To be continue in this ebook..................................................................................