Whether they are spirits of the departed or figments of an overactive imagination, ghosts are a staple in fiction. Storytellers have portrayed ghosts as scary, friendly, or annoying across many genres. Now, eight authors offer their own interpretations of ghosts through a collection of short stories that will appeal to fans of horror, fantasy, or young adult fiction.Whether they are spirits of the departed or figments of an overactive imagination, ghosts are a staple in fiction. Storytellers have portrayed ghosts as scary, friendly, or annoying across many genres. Now, eight authors offer their own interpretations of ghosts through a collection of short stories that will appeal to fans of horror, fantasy, or young adult fiction.“Deathwatch” by Katie French - Teenage sisters Charlotte and Georgie stumble into a robbery, and their normal life gets flipped upside down. Worse, when the clerk kills one of the robbers, his face is covered in a supernatural swarm of bugs. Charlotte must be hallucinating. It's the only explanation for the terrible things she's seen. Everyone calls the clerk a hometown hero, but Charlotte's not so sure. Then a dead girl appears in her mirror with clues to the truth, and Charlotte learns there's more horror to this world than she ever expected.“Tides” by Sarah Dalton - Andrea wakes with sand on her feet. She is sleepwalking down to the sea every night, but remembers little more than a vague recollection of a boy who lives on the beach. With an absent father and a mother who would rather walk along the coast than look after her daughter, Andrea struggles to get by. She’s haunted, but from a memory, or a spirit?“Shadowspirit” by M.A. George - On a good day, Henta Mourngard is stalked by dreadspirits and netherphantoms, a living magnet for creatures of the afterlife. On a bad day, she finds herself communing with a demon of the underworld—worse yet, interrogating one—in a desperate attempt to track down the shadowspirit who has been her guide since infancy. Demons don’t take kindly to interrogation. And the search for a missing shadowspirit leads to places the living daren’t tread (lest they no longer qualify as living). ‘Tis unfortunate for Henta that today is not a “good day”. “The Little Girl” by Jamie Campbell - Sixteen-year-old Penny is moving house… again. Starting out in a small town, she is hopeful this time will be the last. As long as the little girl doesn’t follow her, she will be rid of her past hauntings. The only problem is, the little girl won’t let her go and now she is about to grow stronger than ever before.“The Ghost Below” by Ariele Sieling - White Rabbit gets sent to run cables in the bowels of the spaceship as a punishment. While working, she discovers that the ship's ghost might be more than he seems.“Slave Runner” by H.S. Stone - Malika and her sister are captured by slave traders but receive an unexpected gift of freedom when their captors encounter a deadly gathering of ghosts. The sisters escape to a nearby village, where they learn that the new sanctuary isn’t as safe as they thought it would be, and ghosts aren’t what they most need to fear.“Farewell Ohana (A Ghostly Mini-Wave)” by Sutton Shields - Maile Lahela is under attack by someone in the Kauai Camp for the Curiously Creepy. When she awakens one morning unable to see, her peculiar, yet loyal friends decide it’s time to escape the institution—something that’s never been done. But before they can leave, Maile has a mission of her own…one that could cost them their lives. Farewell Ohana is a short, fun-filled, emotional prequel to the events occurring in Overfalls, Wave Two of The Merworld Water Wars series by Sutton Shields.“Ghost Girl” by Susan Fodor - Zoey Saunders has her future mapped out, but an accident brings her life to an untimely end. In her new state of being, Zoey feels compelled to seek justice for her death and bring healing to her family who have become a shadow of their former selves. But what constitutes justice and will getting even ever be enough to replace the life she lost?

Where the Intergalactic Faj Rules...and the Krindarwee will be exterminated unless the Daughter succeeds... but on what power can a subjugated people draw? The Daughter, heiress Chalatta A'nden, is in love with a prince, or thinks she is, but such love comes at a terrible price.The Intergalactic Faj conquer whole worlds. Over a generation ago, the Faj sent Nevians to conquer the planet, a peaceful homeland holding three separate cultures. They introduced strange and horrifying concepts like slavery and slaughter. They confiscated the land and forced the people into Sectors. The Krindarwee in Sector One, the ones hardest hit by the invaders, prayed for a deliverer. Twenty years ago, the Daughter was born, and trained into her purpose to share the stories and songs of her people, to release those held in slavery, and to eliminate the Faj from their planet. No one expected for the Daughter to become infatuated with the Prince in the Faj, or for the Faj to have the ability to completely dominate a person’s mind.

A prequel to a new book coming out in March 2013 called Dreamweaver. The tree introduces you to the town of Stale and a character called David.Recently single and depressingly lonely, Sylvain Jones finds himself spying on his best friend, whose wife suspects him of cheating. But a seemingly simple task has shocking results, and leads Sylvain to question whether the person he has known for thirty years is hiding a horrific secret behind his façade as a boring, middle class lawyer. As he tries to find the truth, he starts to realise that he is in the middle of a conspiracy so huge it threatens everything he has ever understood and believed in. Can he find the courage and the will to fight it, or will he allow it to destroy his loved ones, his sanity, and ultimately, take to a truth that is far more sinister than he could have imagined?

What can happen when you put an incompetent inventor, a warrior woman, a librarian 4th class and a semi-visible pickpocket together? Anything! Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy set in a world where anything can happen, does and then asks for a refund, you know you’re in for a few surprises and a host of laughs. Discworld meets Hitchhikers Guide set on Knothear..What can happen when you put an incompetent inventor, a warrior woman, a librarian 4th class and a semi-visible pickpocket together? Anything!In truth this is not really the story of a treasure hunt, although there is one on these pages. Nor is it the tale of four incompetent friends blundering from one misadventure into another hopeless situation; although you may be forgiven for thinking so. Oh no, this is a tale about luck.With a lost treasure and a useless map our four adventures are going to need all the luck they can find. Technically they only want good luck, but they find themselves taking all-sorts of the stuff. Set in a world where anything can happen, does and then asks for a refund, you know you’re in for a few surprises and a host of laughs.“A real page turner with the humour of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. The adventure of JRR Tolkien and J.K Rowling. The characterisation of someone who has cool characters. This book is all that, only better.” Someone who read it once said.“Knothear is the new Discworld, only funnier!” “Wahahahahahahaha”

Three boys and a little girl must take on an evil sorcerer in a desperate attempt to save their home from a rising evil menace. They must do this while navigating dangers posed by vicious bullies, insidious politicians, and scores of supernatural monsters. Only the strength of their friendships can help them survive.Centuries ago, the human race was nearly crushed in its struggle to defeat the evil forces of Aboleth. Led by a powerful order known as the Valier, humankind prevailed, but at a terrible price. In their desperate attempt to achieve victory at any cost, the Valier fell and became a curse on civilization known as The Dread Lords.Time has passed. The world has moved on. The Lake Valleys of Sheridan has known peace for centuries. Only, for Niam Maldies, life has been anything but tranquil. He has been hounded by a gang of ruthless bullies all of his life; and to make matters worse, a year ago, his brother and sister died in a mysterious accident that left him reeling in pain.When Niam hears a mysterious Voice that leads him into a series of dangerous situations, he and his two best friends are set on a collision course with an evil sorcerer. As the three friends struggle to uncover the culprit behind a string of ghastly and supernatural murders, they discover a greater plot that may spell doom for their homeland. Now they must rely on the strength of their friendship if they are to survive, for they were born in fulfillment of a dire prophecy: The Dread Lords must rise once again if mankind is to survive its most ancient and implacable enemy.

In this young adult short thriller and suspense story, two teenage boys look to escape boredom by spray painting cars. Only they pick the wrong vehicle to target and suddenly find themselves running for their lives...In this young adult short thriller and suspense story, two teenage boys look to escape boredom by spray painting cars. Only they pick the wrong vehicle to target and suddenly find themselves running for their lives... PRAISE FOR R. BARRI FLOWERS:"A police procedure of the highest order, mixing equal parts Sue Grafton and Jeffrey Deaver with a sprinkling of Patricia Cornwall at her best MURDER IN MAUI is Hawaii 5-0 sharpened to a dark edge beneath the brilliant sunshine." — Jon Land, internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of Strong Justice on MURDER IN MAUI"Flowers delivers the goods. An exotic setting, winning characters, and realistic procedural details make MURDER IN MAUI a sure hit with crime-fiction readers." — Bill Crider, Edgar Award winner and bestselling author of Murder in the Air on MURDER IN MAUI"It gets no better than this! R. Barri Flowers has written another thriller guaranteed to hold onto its readers! It was so gripping that I forgot to breathe a couple of times!" — Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews on DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL“Flowers once again has written a page-turner legal thriller that begins with a bang and rapidly moves along to its final page. He has filled the novel with believable characters and situations.” — Midwest Book Review on STATE'S EVIDENCE“Justice Served is a model of crime fiction.... Flowers may be a new voice in modern mystery writing, but he is already one of its best voices.” — Statesman Journal on JUSTICE SERVED

In the future, Zephyr, the last human on earth, hides from conquering Zarxï. Using technology ordinary teenager Anna and her friends can’t even imagine in 2014, Zephyr reaches back 200 years for assistance. As events unfold and peril from the Zarxï intensifies in both time periods, Anna will become an unlikely heroine and Zephyr will reach for the world he lost.Two hundred years in the future, fifteen-year-old Zephyr hides from the conquering Zarxï. He is likely the last human being on earth. Using technology ordinary teenager Anna and her friends can’t even imagine in 2014, Zephyr—knowing the risks of changing history—reaches back in time for assistance. As events unfold and peril from the Zarxï intensifies in both time periods, Anna will become an unlikely heroine and Zephyr will navigate through present and past to reach for the world he lost.This captivating first novella by fifteen-year-old Philip Kiely was written in honor of his sister’s successful completion of her elementary school’s spelling challenge. This story is for her, but it is also for you. Enjoy!

Jakin remembers back to one of his best and worst days of his life. Jakin knows Rangdrone has nothing but villainous intentions towards Aislyn and feels he must warn her best friend before the situation is gets worse.As a Prequel to the Aislyn's War book series, this is a short chapter to the character Jakin's first sight of Aislyn when her story starts and what he is thinking. With Jakin's unspoken love for Aislyn and his desperate need to keep her safe all without being allowed to be near her, Jakin remembers back to one of his best and worst days of his life. Jakin knows Rangdrone has nothing but villainous intentions towards Aislyn and feels he must warn her best friend before the situation is gets worse.

Duke and Wilt are now officially working for Professor Oblex, much to Lana's dismay. All three struggle to get used to working together however Lana remains skeptical when told about the curse. When Duke gets involved with a local singer it might just be Lana's chance to see the effects of the curse firsthand... If Duke can survive long enough that is.Courage. Compassion. A warm light for all to follow. In a world where playing games on cell phones give people superpowers like flying or teleporting, twelve-year-old Leon can shine light from his hands which is the least useful superpower of the nine. But when he discovers his real ability, he turns his world upside down chasing more and more power. Not only is that devastating for his family, but he also destroys his friendship with his best friend, and then discovers that his real ability is tricking him into following a sinister power. He’ll have to give up everything that made him popular in order to do what’s right.

Six months after their wedding, Cullen and Lana Amell visit his sister's farm. Being a mage, Lana missed out on all the traditions that came with All Soul's Day and Cullen is ecstatic to teach them all to her. Lots of Fluff & Kissing.A little Halloween/Fall Solstice story with Cullen from my series to get everyone into the autumn mood.Six months after their wedding, Cullen and Lana Amell visit his sister's farm. Being a mage, Lana missed out on all the traditions that came with All Soul's Day and Cullen is ecstatic to teach them all to her. Lots of Fluff & Kissing.

This book features Shannon Storm from the "Storm For All Seasons" series. Fall Fury is also Book 2 of that series. Shannon Storm is the feisty, independent director of Public Relations for her family-run hotel, The Rising Storm. She's less than thrilled at the arrival of Max Devlin, hotshot PR guru from Boston, but has no choice other than work with him on the new casino venture. Like the magical elements of fall that she possesses, Shannon's emotions run hot and cold where Max is concerned. She guards her heart under leaves of indifference, but beneath she's boiling with need for what only Max can give her. Max Devlin is on more than just a PR mission on his trek to New Orleans. Not only is he there to work on the casino project, but he's setting down roots in Louisiana. And the first step is to find a mate. The trouble is, Max harbors a secret that he's going to have to very carefully reveal to the woman he's chosen. That woman is the cool on the surface, hot within Shannon Storm. He wonders if Shannon's feelings are powerful enough to accept who-and what-he is. By the light of a full New Orleans moon, their magic will merge, and two people with secrets to hide must learn to trust in their love before their destinies can unfold.

In the dramatic conclusion of the bestselling Confessions series, Tandy Angel's next murder case could be her own! Tandy Angel is losing her mind—or so she thinks. Even as she's forced to fight for the family company, she's imagining new dangers in every shadow. And as her detective prowess is called into question and her paranoia builds, she has to face the very real possibility that the stalker she's convinced will take her life could be all in her head—or the very real danger that finally brings her down.

Seconds after partaking of wine during a Catholic funeral mass, Father Miguel Flores is dead on the altar. Detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas confirms that the consecrated wine contained enough potassium cyanide to kill a rhino. And though the East Harlem neighborhood is a long way from the stone mansion she shares with her billionaire husband Roarke, it’s the holiness flying around St. Christobal’s that makes her uneasy. The autopsy reveals faint scars of knife wounds, a removed tattoo—and evidence of plastic surgery suggesting “Father Flores” may not be the man his parishioners thought. Now, as Eve pieces together clues that suggest identity theft, gang connections, and a deeply personal act of revenge, she hopes to track down whoever committed this unholy act. Until a second murder—in front of an even larger crowd of worshippers—knocks the whole investigation sideways…

n 1973, Carl Sagan published The Cosmic Connection, a daring view of the universe, which rapidly became a classic work of popular science and inspired a generation of scientists and enthusiasts. This seminal work is reproduced here for a whole new generation to enjoy. In Sagan's typically lucid, lyrical style, he discusses many topics from astrophysics and solar system science, to colonization of other worlds, terraforming and the search for extraterrestrials. [in this book, he] conveys his own excitement and wonder, and relates the revelations of astronomy to the most profound human problems and concerns: issues that are just as valid today as they were 30 years ag

Every summer Gil Hunt escapes to the same small town on the Cornish coast.   He rents a studio overlooking the bay from Cecily, who owns the café below, and spends his evenings at the bar on the pier or at beach parties with his surf dude friends.  Every summer is relaxed and hedonistic and exactly the same - which is just the way Gil likes it. Except this year, Cecily seems subdued and hankering after change for reasons she cannot or will not explain.  Gil, mindful of her restlessness, is distracted by a series of chance encounters with Jemima Gregory, daughter of a local artist.  As Cecily spirals away from him and Jem draws him ever closer, Gil’s own actions tie him into a web of other people’s secrets from which there is only the most violent and shocking escape.

Previously published in Supernatural New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched . . . When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge . . . Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . . Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . .

Three novellas. One amazing collection. Second Kiss Daisy Grace Webber's life hasn't exactly turned out how she thought. She didn't think she'd drop out of college and come back to the small town she grew up in. To be fair, she didn't think her love of baking would turn into a job at the Violet Hill Cafe either, but it did. Something else she didn't expect was for Molly Madison to walk back into her life, eight years after she moved away. They'd been best friends forever, or so she'd thought. But Molly is back in town and she's looking... really good, actually. And that reminds Daisy of that one time at a sleepover when they'd kissed during a game of Spin the Bottle. That one kiss has been on her mind since then, but it's irrelevant. Molly isn't into girls. But as Daisy and Molly spend more time together, feelings start to grow, and Daisy is wondering just how "straight" Molly really is... Double Exposure Anna Corcoran's life is hectic, but that's how she likes it. Between her jobs at the Violet Hill Cafe, the local library, and doing publicity work for authors, she doesn't have much time for anything else. Until Lacey Cole walks into the cafe and she feels like she's been knocked off her axis. Lacey's a photographer and writer and wants to do a profile on the cafe, including an interview with Anna. She's game, but after spending a few days with Lacey, Anna is falling. Hard. The only problem is that Lacey isn't going to be sticking around. She floats from town to town, never staying in one place. But as they get closer and closer, Anna wonders if maybe this would be the one time when Lacey would decide to stay put. With her. Second Chance Serena Nolan's summer isn't going how she planned. Fortunately, her cousin, Anna, is there to rescue her from spending her time off from college with parents who don't understand (or want to understand) her. Serena's thrilled to be living with Anna and her girlfriend, Lacey in Lacey's studio, and working in the Violet Hill Cafe. She's even adores Lacey's cat, Murder. What she definitely didn't plan was running into her ex, Fiona Davis. They'd been best friends that had turned into something else, but everything had crashed and burned before the end of high school several years ago. Serena is still smarting from the heartbreak, but she can't say no to spending some time with Fi. Against her better judgement, old feelings are mixing with new ones, and she doesn't know what to do. Serena will have to decide if past heartbreak is going to keep her from a potential future with Fiona.

A modern, magical twist on the Gothic romance and girl detective genres, the Lynburn Legacy books will appeal to fans of both Beautiful Creatures and the Mortal Instruments series.   Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice? Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town. Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most. As coauthor with Cassandra Clare of the bestselling Bane Chronicles, Sarah Rees Brennan has mastered the art of the page-turner. This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end. From the Hardcover edition.

Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye. Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before—before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe. As Kirkus Reviews said in a starred review, "Schneider takes familiar stereotypes and infuses them with plenty of depth. Here are teens who could easily trade barbs and double entendres with the characters that fill John Green's novels." Funny, smart, and including everything from flash mobs to blanket forts to a poodle who just might be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby, The Beginning of Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a heart-wrenching story about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Kim Stanley Robinson, award-winning author of the bestselling Red Mars, Green Mars, and the soon-to-be-published Blue Mars, was called "a literary landscape artist, creating breathtaking vistas" by The Detroit Metro News. Now he confirms his reputation for brilliance and for the unexpected in this luminous short work. A Short, Sharp Shock A man tumbles through wild surf, half drowned, to collapse on a moonlit beach. When he regains consciousness, he has no memory of who he is or where he came from. he know only that the woman who washed ashore with him has disappeared sometime in the night, and that he has awakened in a surreal landscape of savage beauty -- a mysterious watery world encircled by a thin spine of land. Aided by strange tribesmen, he will journey to the cove of the spine kings, a brutal race that has enslaved the woman and several of the tribesmen. That is only the beginning of his quest, as he struggles to find her identity in this wondrous and cruel land -- and seeks out the woman whose hold on his imagination is both unfathomable and unshakable. Haunting and lyrical, filled with uncommon beauty and terrible peril, A Short, Sharp Shock is an ambitious and enthralling story by one of science fiction's most respected talents. From the Paperback edition.

Two dead men changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other I’d never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue. The first was a local PI of suspect reputation. He’d been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. It looked like a robbery gone bad. The other was on the beach six weeks later. He’d been sleeping rough. Probably homeless. No identification. A slip of paper with Millhone’s name and number was in his pants pocket. The coroner asked her to come to the morgue to see if she could ID him. Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes. But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. And before long at least one aspect is solved as Kinsey literally finds the key to his identity. “And just like that,” she says, “the lid to Pandora’s box flew open. It would take me another day before I understood how many imps had been freed, but for the moment, I was inordinately pleased with myself.” In this multilayered tale, the surfaces seem clear, but the underpinnings are full of betrayals, misunderstandings, and outright murderous fraud. And Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised. W is for . . . wanderer . . . worthless . . . wronged . . . W is for wasted.