There's no love lost between Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, and the White Council of Wizards, who find him brash and undisciplined. But war with the vampires has thinned their ranks, so the Council has drafted Harry as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City. As Harry adjusts to his new role, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and pierced daughter of an old friend, all grown-up and already in trouble. Her boyfriend is the only suspect in what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob. . . .

After her father’s funeral, Zoe and her mother moved to the Big City to start over. But life’s not so easy, the money is tight, and a new school brings trials. Fortunately, she has an escape: her dreams. A world of freedom and solace removed from the loneliness and anxieties of real life, Zoe's dreamscape offers another, more precious, gift: It is the only place where she can spend time with her closest companion — her lost brother Valentine. Yet something is very wrong. An unfamiliar — and uninvited — presence has entered her private realm to threaten Zoe and Valentine, a disturbing turn of events that is compounded by an impossible discovery. A chance encounter at a used record store where the grooves of the vinyl discs hold not music, but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. Now, the shop’s strange proprietor is offering Zoe the chance to commune with the father whose passing took a piece of her heart. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then... How far into this eerie world will Zoe go to discover what she truly needs? And once she does, will there be enough left of her to come back?

This time, when Harry Dresden gets a call from Murphy, it's off the record, because she has been demoted, things in SI are politically shaky, and the police have already declared a suicide. Once Harry gets a good look, though, the suicide is clearly a murder with magical intent. As he investigates, hoping as always to stop the killer before more die, evidence points to the worst possible suspect: his half brother. In another complicated case, there are a lot of very powerful players, and with the war between the White Council and the Red Court vampires, politics are played hard and fast. In tracking down the killer, Harry manages to catch the attention of the White Court vampires again, too. . .

A Weather Warden short story

Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out. Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

In this retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic , join C.E. Wilson as she breathes new life into Much Ado About Nothing, the first book in her Young Adult series Shakespeare for Everyone Else.Shakespeare’s work features some of the most memorable stories and characters ever created, yet for too many curious readers the combination of ultra-dense dialogue and unfamiliar historical settings make tackling the Bard’s work something between a tedious chore and a confusing mess of bird-bolts and quondam carpet-mongers.While it’s nearly impossible to replicate or improve on these works, it is (thanks to their timeless nature) possible to make them more accessible to a wider audience.In this retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic play, join C.E. Wilson as she breathes new life into Much Ado About Nothing, the first book in her Young Adult series Shakespeare for Everyone Else.

A routine protection gig for business tycoon Trent Kalamack quickly goes wrong when runner Rachel Morgan discovers she is the assassin's target. New, never published Hollows short with Trent and Rachel working together. The timing of the story sort of puts it between A Perfect Blood and Ever After, but the feeling of it is seriously slanted toward Ever After. If you get a chance to read it, I’d [author] be curious to know what you think about the “voice.” One of the things I tried to do–besides get a chance to see Rachel and Trent work together–was to give it a more mainstream feel since there’s the chance readers who would normally never pick up the Hollows might be reading it.

Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—in one special volume—from the New York Times bestselling author. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—together in one volume. Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.” For years, Charlaine Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned-paranormal-sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, Ace is pleased to republish her second novel in the series in hardcover. In this book, Sookie is pursued by a very sexy vampire—and a very deadly monster. With HBO and Alan Ball, creator of Six Feet Under, launching an all-new series, True Blood, based on the Southern Vampire novels, the demand for Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse is going to be bigger than ever.

The first Harper Connelly mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris! Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who’s passed, and share their very last moment. Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast—because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them.At first, the little Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception.  A teenage girl has gone missing, but the secrets of her death—and the secrets of the town—are deep enough that even Harper’s special ability can’t uncover them.  With hostility welling up all around them, she and Tolliver would like nothing better than to be on their way.  But then another woman is murdered.  And the killer’s not finished yet...

After the team battles a group of warlocks in New England, it's decided that it's time for them to stop hiding in the shadows. Avery also finds it's time for her to man up and take leadership of not only her group of misfits, but also the rest of the uniques. With Nate by her side, the task becomes a little easier, but Fate always has plans of her own, and may throw a wrinkle in Avery's path."Hello everyone, I’m Avery Clavens and what you’re about to hear and witness may seem like something out of a science fiction or horror movie, but believe me it’s real. There were no computer graphics done for this segment. My partner here is Nathaniel Barnes and we believe it’s time to let everyone in on a little secret."After Avery and the team battle a group of warlocks in New England, it's decided that it's time for them to stop hiding in the shadows. Avery also finds it's time for her to man, or woman, up and take leadership of not only her group of misfits, but also the rest of the uniques. With Nate by her side, the task becomes a little easier, but Fate always has plans of her own, and may throw a wrinkle or two in Avery's path.Even though her job with the FBI is on hold because of everything else going on in her world, it really is just another day and she's trying to earn another dollar in the crazy world she finds herself living in.

In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies-elementals of earth, air, fire, water and metal, fifteen-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos-when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies-Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war.

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he's getting more than he bargained for. A duel with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards. . . Professional hit men using Harry for target practice. . . The missing Shroud of Turin. . . A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified. . . Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life. Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging.

The Doctor takes Clara to Edinburgh where he has to plug up a leaking energy well. Unfortunately, he is already too late and they have to pursue shadowy bird-like creatures through time to stop them consuming the raw energy of a child destined for great things...They were like birds. Large, black birds – shadowy descendants of pterodactyls – gathered in the shadows and out of sight. A movement from one of them could be dismissed as a trick of the light – the mind placing tricks with the shadows of the night. They were hungry. Ravenous. And they could feel their next meal getting close. A rip in time. Juicy energy waiting to be consumed. Gathered around one special person. A person with the potential to change the world. All they had to do was find a way through and then they could begin their feast.The Doctor takes Clara to Edinburgh where he has to plug up a leaking energy well. Unfortunately, he is already too late and they have to pursue the shadowy bird-like creatures through time to stop them consuming the raw energy of a child destined for great things...

Charles Frank has it all. A loving wife, an adorable newborn daughter, and a good paying job. But on his way home, one second—one moment—shatters his entire picture-perfect life, and he is forced to make the toughest choice he has ever faced— To live or to die?Charles Frank has it all. A loving wife, an adorable newborn daughter, and a good paying job. But on his way home, one second—one moment—shatters his entire picture-perfect life, and he is forced to make the toughest choice he has ever faced— To live or to die? In That Moment is a suspenseful short story from author The Jason Jack that challenges you—the reader—to make the ultimate decision regarding, life, death, and a human’s ability to choose. When you’re finished, check out more short stories by The Jason Jack! Visit thejasonjack.com for more information!

A free Weather Warden short story