After barely surviving a horrific accident, then being held captive for years by Earth Government, Venice must escape the planet. She thinks she’s found the answer to her prayers when she contracts to be a deep-space bride—only to find herself facing an even bigger nightmare. Hiding from her con man “husband” aboard his space station, she comes across an intimidating cyborg…one who could just be her last hope. Deviant is humiliated when his father suggests he visit a pleasure center to make use of a sex bot. True, the defects he was born with have assured female cyborgs will never consider adding him to a family unit. But he still has his pride. The woman who enters the room, however, is incredibly lifelike, and she quickly has Deviant feeling things he’d never dreamed—right until the moment he finds out she’s human. Sort of… Venice needs Deviant’s help to get off the space station. Deviant is lonely, and in need of someone to teach him how to pleasure a female. They strike a bargain, one that has Venice giving up her freedom. But soon it’s her heart that’s at greater risk. It’s easy loving Deviant…even when others are determined to make it difficult.

The protagonist of Siri Hustvedt's astonishing second novel is a heroine of the old style: tough, beautiful, and brave. Standing at the threshold of adulthood, she enters a new world of erotic adventure, profound but unexpected friendship, and inexplicable, frightening acts of madness. Lily's story is also the story of a small town--Webster, Minnesota--where people are brought together by a powerful sense of place, both geographical and spiritual. Here gossip, secrets, and storytelling are as essential to the bond among its people as the borders that enclose the town. The real secret at the heart of the book is the one that lies between reality and appearances, between waking life and dreams, at the place where imagination draws on its transforming powers in the face of death.

Fans of E.B. White and Dick King-Smith will adore this heartwarming and funny animal adventure by the award-winning author of *Counting by 7s** * Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out! With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.

[Siren Sensations: Erotic Alternative Contemporary Consensual BDSM Menage a Trois Romance, M/M/M, HEA] Stuart has no regrets about his new life with Brandon and Jeff. For the first time, he feels he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be, with a family who loves him for who he is. Even despite the craziness with Brandon’s ex, it’s all worth it. Jeff knows this is for life with the two men and has never felt happier. When a mission to help his sister’s friend leads to an unexpected health crisis with an uncertain outcome, he is forced to admit he’s also vulnerable in ways he never imagined, both physically and emotionally. Brandon gets that his ex has issues, but he won’t let those stand in the way of him and his husbands parenting Emma, his teenaged daughter. Jeff and Stuart have proven they’re there for life. Now their sanity is stretched to the max in ways they never imagined by a horrific truth—they’re raising a teenaged daughter who’s starting to date. Note: This book contains double penetration.

Recently orphaned, eleven-year-old Cathy Benson feels she has been dropped into a cultural and intellectual wasteland when she is forced to move from her academically privileged life in California to the small town of Kersey in the Texas Panhandle where the sport of football reigns supreme. She is quickly taken under the unlikely wings of up-and-coming gridiron stars and classmates John Caldwell and Trey Don Hall, orphans like herself, with whom she forms a friendship and eventual love triangle that will determine the course of the rest of their lives. Taking the three friends through their growing up years until their high school graduations when several tragic events uproot and break them apart, the novel expands to follow their careers and futures until they reunite in Kersey at forty years of age. Told with all of Meacham's signature drama, unforgettable characters, and plot twists, readers will be turning the pages, desperate to learn how it all plays out.

Long ago, a lone little burro roamed the high cliffs of the Grand Canyon and touched the hearts of all who knew him: a grizzled old miner, a big-game hunter, even President Teddy Roosevelt. Named Brighty by the prospector who befriended him, he remained a free spirit at heart. But when a ruthless claim-jumper murdered the prospector, loyal Brighty risked everything to bring the killer to justice. Brighty's adventures have delighted generations of readers, and he has become the symbol of a joyous way of life. Some people say that you can even see his spirit roving the canyon on moonlit nights-forever wild, forever free.

This e-book contains World Fantasy Award winner Jeff VanderMeer's novella “Ghost Dancing with Manco Tupac” and four related short stories: “The Emperor’s Reply,” “The Compass of His Bones,” “La Siesta Del Muerte,” and “Flight Is For Those Who Have Not Yet Crossed Over.” Together, these stand-alone stories set in Latin America were to have formed the backbone of a never-completed mosaic novel addressing issues of colonialism, storytelling, appropriation, and myth. The author’s interest in Latin America derived from trips there as a child, including a visit to Machu Picchu in the 1970s. Subsequently he studied Latin American history as a minor at the University of Florida

The New York Times bestselling author of the “fabulous whodunit”* Lethal Outlook is back with her newest Psychic Eye Mystery. Wedding bells are ringing for psychic Abigail Cooper, but her senses are tingling that fiancé Dutch is in danger…. It’s said to be good luck if it rains on your wedding day, but Abby sees something darker than storm clouds on the horizon. She’s just had a disturbing premonition of her fiancé’s murder. Her husband-to-be has been assigned to a case involving a series of suicide bombings, and Abby’s spirit guides warn her of imminent danger. FBI agent Dutch Rivers is keeping his cool, but Abby can’t quell her anxiety. After another suicide bombing at a local beauty salon, Abby vows to do everything in her power to keep Dutch safe and get him to the altar. But on the morning of the ceremony, she finds herself in a dire situation, with time running out….

The World with a Thousand Moons By Edmond Hamilton

In this extraordinary third and final work in the Second DemonWars Saga, R. A. Salvatore weaves a diverse tapestry of characters and events from all the novels of the DemonWars Saga into an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Casting his inimitable spell of the human and supernatural, love and war, faith and faithlessness, Salvatore's crowning work is centered on a dark young king, driven by a quest to remake humankind. In Honce-the-Bear, King Aydrian Boudabras wakes in a cold sweat, his conscience haunted by those he has killed to garner power, including the rightful king before him, Danube, his mother's husband. Now Aydrian is preparing his armies for war, forging loyalties, playing one adversary against the other, and giving those around him barely a glimpse of his remarkable powers. Even Adyrian does not fully understand what drives his ambition, the guiding voices he first heard from the shadow of Oracle, or the truth of his birth in the elven land—before it was stained and mortally threatened by the demon dactyl.

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry. . . . . . in a new, horrific, unimaginable way. . . Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature. All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind. But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation. . . or her death?

Spring has arrived at the Green Meadow and Johnny Chuck is strangely discontent. On a whim, he offers Jimmy Skunk his house and then wanders off. Along the way, he gets into a fight with a strange woodchuck and, after a bruising battle, chases the intruder off. At that point, Johnny is feeling rather unconquerable — that is, until Polly Chuck uses her feminine charms to capture his heart. Before long, the two are happily keeping house in a burrow in the old orchard.Thornton W. Burgess, the author of many delightful classics for children, draws young readers into a timeless world of woodland creatures, teaching children important lessons about nature by basing the animals' actions and adventures on actual wildlife behavior. Six charming illustrations by Thea Kliros, based on Harrison Cady originals, enhance a story sure to delight young animal and nature lovers.

When the bureaucrats make 'pleasuretax' a literal reality, some people go insane.George Bullington lives in a world where brainwave detectors register all pleasurable sensations, and bureaucrats then levy taxes. Georges copes with the intrusions as well as he can, but how long can he hold out?

The Crux is an important early feminist work that brings to the fore complicated issues of gender, citizenship, eugenics, and frontier nationalism. First published serially in the feminist journal The Forerunner in 1910, The Crux tells the story of a group of New England women who move west to start a boardinghouse for men in Colorado. The innocent central character, Vivian Lane, falls in love with Morton Elder, who has both gonorrhea and syphilis. The concern of the novel is not so much that Vivian will catch syphilis, but that, if she were to marry and have children with Morton, she would harm the "national stock."

Darsey Ice never thought her first trip past Jupiter would claim the lives of her crew. But then she hadn’t expected to become the first person to make contact with aliens either. Kidnapped, enslaved and lost on the Outer Rim of a mighty civilization light-years from Earth, the only person she can turn to is her enigmatic new owner. A dishonored outcast, he is just as alone as Darsey.Darsey Ice never thought her first trip past Jupiter would claim the lives of her crew. But then she hadn’t expected to become the first person to make contact with aliens either. Kidnapped, enslaved and lost on the Outer Rim of a mighty civilization light-years from Earth, the only person she can turn to is her enigmatic new owner. A dishonored outcast, he is just as alone as Darsey. Exiled by his people and struggling to survive, the last thing he wants is a rebellious primitive as a slave. She complicates his efforts to hide a dangerous secret and to complete a quest that is likely to claim both their lives. They will only survive if they can find enough trust to forge an unwanted alliance. A science-fiction love story of alien romance, between a leading lady who packs a punch and her charismatic owner with a secret quest.

After moving to Hawaii, Emma dismisses the strange goings-on as figments of her imagination — until she stumbles upon a gathering of ancient spirits. Can she combat a curse that threatens her soul and an impossible love triangle? With over 600 five-star ratings on Goodreads, The Night Marchers series is a complete young adult paranormal romance series that will appeal to fans of Twilight.After moving to Hawaii, Emma dismisses the strange goings-on as figments of her imagination — until she stumbles upon a gathering of ancient spirits. Can she combat a curse that threatens her soul and an impossible love triangle? With over 600 five-star ratings on Goodreads, The Night Marchers series is a complete young adult paranormal romance series that will appeal to fans of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith. NEVER, EVER lock eyes with a Night Marcher! Everyone in Hawaii has heard this warning, except for seventeen-year-old Emma Townsend that is. For most Hawaiians know that looking into the eyes of Night Marcher can strike a curse that will end in death or eternal servitude. Even though her paranormal investigator father solely raised Emma, she has little experience in the realm of the supernatural. After being forced to move with her father to Hawaii only months before her graduation, Emma starts seeing the unexplainable — fire balls in the distance, beating drums in the middle of nowhere, and strangers who vanish into thin air.When an eventful evening lands Emma in the middle of the woods at night, she comes face to face with a procession of Night Marchers. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Emma barely escapes and finds herself on the run for her life. With her life at stake, and a curse chasing her, Emma must put her trust in a man she knows little about to survive. Praises for Night Marchers: "I read books but this one took me on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions. It is a hard book to put down. Be prepared to be up late reading! Can't wait to read the next book!" ~Marella4 "The story is original, thrilling, includes several twists in the romance department, and in the supernatural content as well."~Sally "I am always interested in things based in some kind of paranormal "truth" and this story didn't fail to impress with the authors obviously having taken a great deal of time to do their research. By the time I got to the end I could not wait to pick up the second one and see where the story went."~Chantress

Let's Be Just Friends is a fast paced, captivating novel that will keep you glued to the pages with humor, heartbreak, and romance. It's a story about friendship, love, and the choices we make.Rose Atwood has been in love with her best friend for years, and she’s tired of keeping her feelings under wraps for fear of getting hurt. Being Tyler’s best friend is becoming more difficult with every passing year and every new woman in his life—especially Georgiana Smithson, a snotty, beautiful girl who’s in Law School with them.When Rose, dumped by her long-term boyfriend, moves temporarily into Tyler’s apartment, tension spikes. Georgiana wants Rose out of the house. Rose wants Georgiana out of Tyler’s life. And Tyler … well, he doesn’t really know what he wants.As an unexpected argument brings Rose and Tyler closer than they’ve ever been, they must decide if there’s more to their relationship than being just friends. And they must do it quickly, as Georgiana is determined to do everything in her power to keep Tyler and Rose apart. After all, all is fair in love and war.Will Rose make a leap of faith and trust Tyler with her heart?Will Tyler make the right choice, or will he be too late?***Bonus Scenes Added***

A truly eclectic offering of short stories ranging from humor and inspiration to darkness and terror, A World of Possibility presents the work of many authors in the group ASMSG, or Authors’ Social Media Support Group, and each author’s link is provided for your further review of their other work. We hope you enjoy the diversity, laugh, cry, shiver, or look behind you once or twice as you read.The Authors’ Social Media Support Group (ASMSG) is proud to present the 1st Authors of ASMSG Short Story Anthology under the title A World of Possibility. ASMSG represents a membership of authors throughout the globe, so we found the title of the book and its cover appropriate. Inside, you’ll find twenty-six stories of pain, pleasure, anger, despair, fear, love, hatred, passion, and hope. Stories of historic inspiration to the edge of current affairs. Stories that will occupy your thoughts when you turn the lights out, or dance on your mind as you arise with the sun. We hope you will enjoy them.A World of Possibility includes the following stories and their authors:THE JUMPER, by Alan HardyLEAVING SARAH, by Annmarie MilesTHE BALANCE, by Bob AtkinsonTHE GUN, by Brian Y. RogersMOONCUSSERS, by Carol CarrollGHOST INN, by Cynthia CollinsVACATION INTERRUPTED, by Debra ParmleyTHE PAINTING, by Diane Adams TaylorONCE MORE BACK, by Gay IngramLALA SALAAMA, by Iain ParkeCUFFED, by James J. MurrayUNDERGROUND, by Kenneth PuddicombeTHE FAMILY TRADITION, by Kirstin PulioffFLASHBACK, by Linda CovellaTHE WAYWARD PARCEL, by Mary MeddlemoreTHE BOX, by Michelle BrowneLEGACY, by Mike O’DonnellBABY, by Olga Núñez MiretREVENGE, by Peter Watson JenkinsTHE SEA TURTLE, by PJ PerrymanA DATE TO DIE FOR, by Rosary McQuestionA STEP IN TIME, by Susan HawthorneA COTTAGE AT MANITOU CROSSING, by Tannis LaidlawLITTLE BOY BLUE, by Tina TraverseRUTH, by Tom RyanTHE UNEDITED INTERVIEW WITH BRENFORD STEVENS, by Yelle HughesHappy reading, and we hope you enjoy!

Store clerks by day, innkeepers for the Magi by night! Twenty-year-olds Bob Himmel and Julie Beckerhof aren’t getting paid anything, but the thrills are there. If the inn isn’t sold out from under them, and if they can keep their guests alive—number seven on the list of innkeepers’ rules—they just might get married and settle into this.Brought to you by award-winning author, Molly Snow...Surla and Cathy have a HUGE secret!After spending hundreds of years as a 'familiar' to an abusive witch, Surla runs away to find freedom. But there's one catch! The Black Cats' Curse states she will have to switch bodies with the first lonesome soul to cross her path.Painfully shy Cathy Phillips can't muster the courage to ask hot water polo player, Craig Nelson, on a date. Neither can she stand up to the three biggest snobs at Washington High. What's a girl to do? Could switching lives with a sassy cat be the answer to her wishes?The "curse" of being "BeSwitched" may just be the most purr-fect secret these new best friends could ever have!

The world, as we know it, has ended. Now one man must guide humanity through its bleakest hour. Reluctant superhero, Marine Sergeant Nathaniel Hogan…The Forever Man. A series of solar flares stopped the heart of our modern world, returning us to the DARK AGES. Now ‘they’ have appeared through a gateway in space. Orcs, goblins and their leaders – the Fair Folk. Are they here to help, or to conquer?The world, as we know it, has ended. One man stands resolute. A man who has been trained in the savage arts of war. A man who lives his life according to a creed. A simple man who wants none of the power thrust upon him. This man is Marine Sergeant Nathaniel Hogan, seconded to the American Embassy in London and, although he does not know it, he is – The Forever Man.The first pulse occurred in the old calendar year of 2022. A sequence of gigantic solar flares created a series of massive electromagnetic pulses that stopped the heart of our modern world and returned us to the DARK AGES. Tens of thousands died within the first few hours as airplanes fell from the skies, hospitals ceased to work and every form of modern transportation ground to a halt. Within days the death toll had reached the hundreds of thousands. Fires raged unchecked through the cities, water supplies ran out and survivors turn on each other as mob rule surpassed all else.And Nathaniel finds that he has been changed by the huge amounts of Gamma radiation in the solar flares. They have enhanced his natural abilities, giving him increased speed, strength and healing. Indefinitely extended his life span and enabling him to be able to draw on the power of the solar flares to create magik.But even The Forever Man was not prepared for what happened next, as the ongoing flares tore a hole in time and space, creating a gateway through which ‘they’ appeared. From the realms of fantasy came the orcs, the goblins and, leading them all – the Fair Folk. Were they here to help – or to conquer?Craig Zerf has gotten serious! This is the first in his MAMMOTH new Post Apocalyptic Fantasy series that covers hundreds of years of man's dystopian existence under the yoke of the Fair-Folk. Award winning author...Chosen by London Radio BBC 4 as the "YEAR'S BEST READ." New York Times Best Selling author Michael Marshal says, "Brutal and Uncompromising with unforgettable characters and real emotional punch.”SF CROWSNEST - Craig Zerf is inflated with invention and well endowed with wit.

Hugo Meyers, lead singer for the Seattle indie-band, Shyshank Puppets, just found out he has super powers. That should be awesome right? Unfortunately they came with visions of a nightmarish future, and the realization that having powers not only doesn't make people any more responsible than they normally would be, sometimes it makes them a great deal worse.Hugo Meyers, a 22-year-old hipster who has long-since shoved all of his ambitions under his bed with a moldy pizza box and a forgotten pile of dirty clothes, knows he is not cutout to save the world, and yet, he’s started getting nightmarish visions of a fast-approaching nuclear apocalypse. Either the Powers That Be hadn’t looked at his resume, or they were stacking the deck in favor of a global catastrophe that his meager musical talents, or the ability to control the wind that had come with the visions like some sort of consolation prize, couldn’t possibly stop.Well, it turns out nobody cares if Hugo is hero material or not. A chance encounter with the (almost) 16-year-old lightning-monster, CJ, leads him to the one man always at the center of the apocalyptic visions; the incredibly charismatic philanthropist and CEO of Gideon Enterprises, Alexander Gideon. Now he’s been dropped face-first into a cold war between people with superpowers that has been going on behind the scenes for generations. With the help of, thankfully, more competent allies, Hugo must untangle years of lies and betrayal before it’s too late for everyone. But is it all worth it, when each sacrifice Hugo makes trying to save the world brings him one step closer to becoming the type of detached, calculating monster that would want to destroy it?