For younger fans of Monster High comes a brand-new series just for them!

It was a typical evening at a local Annapolis tavern, until a girl walked in, collapsed and died.The cause of her death was anything but natural. Something had latched itself to the base of her skull. Some type of creature unlike anything seen before.And it didn't arrive alone.Now, the patrons of The Fulcrum are trapped, held prisoner within the tavern's walls by monstrous things that flit across the night sky, trying to find their way in.

From New York Times bestselling author Zane comes a thrilling erotic novel, set in the same world of Addicted and Nervous, featuring a beautiful but emotionally damaged pop star hell-bent on vengeance against the people responsible for her traumatic past. Decades after fleeing from Atlanta after an unspeakable trauma, Caprice Tatum returns to her roots—only this time she’s Wicket, the international pop sensation who has become a living embodiment of fame and fortune. While she may be have refashioned herself onstage as the perfect diva, selling out concerts and topping the charts, offstage she’s haunted by her past and incapable of the kind of intimacy that could free her heart and mind. She an only see one way forward: revenge against the people who were responsible for what happened to her when she was a teenager. Yet, as Caprice insinuates herself into Atlanta’s most elite circles—and into the lives of her former tormentors—she begins to unravel, putting herself and the few people she trusts at risk, including Jonovan, her childhood crush whose compassion and allure are almost too much for her to handle. When her father suggests she see a therapist, Dr. Marcella Spencer, Caprice finally begins to pick up the pieces and find her inner-strength. But can she truly overcome a legacy of pain and suffering? Or will her thirst for vengeance drag her even further into the darkness? **About the Author Zane is the New York Times bestselling author of Afterburn, The Heat Seekers, Dear G-Spot, Gettin’ Buck Wild, The Hot Box, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Nervous, Skyscraper, Love is Never Painless, Shame on It All, and The Sisters of APF; the ebook short stories “I’ll be Home for Christmas” and “Everything Fades Away”; and editor for the Flava anthology series, including Z-Rated and Busy Bodies. Her TV series, Zane’s Sex Chronicles, and The Jump Off are featured on Cinemax, and her bestselling novel Addicted is a major motion picture with Lionsgate Films. She is the publisher of Strebor Books, an imprint of Atria Books/Simon & Schuster. Visit her online at EroticaNoir.com. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Vengeance Chapter One Saturday, June 9, 2012 1:42 p.m. Atlanta, Georgia The Ritz-Carlton suite was over thirteen hundred square feet with a panoramic skyline view of Atlanta, a music area with a grand piano for me to practice on, an executive study, a butler’s pantry attached to the formal dining room, and a bedroom with the kind of high-thread-count bedding that I was accustomed to. I was soaking in the massive tub with “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele seeping through the surround-sound system and singing along with the words. Her vibe was so relevant. Our musical styles varied somewhat but we were both getting paid to do what we were passionate about, so it was all good. The video for “Rolling in the Deep” had over 400 million views on YouTube, but my video for “The Other Side of the Pillow” had nearly 900 million views. Glad my body was looking tight that week we filmed it in Punta Cana. Otherwise, I would have been worried about people seeing my flaws forever and would have cringed when I heard the numbers. Even though my song was dope, the visual effects of the Dominican Republic made the video truly pop. Most people in the United States would only ever dream of traveling the world. I was blessed to actually do it on the regular. Sounds crazy but I had more than a million frequent flier miles. Then again, I was actually flawless, keeping it real. I really didn’t have any choice other than to remain unblemished and impeccable with both my looks and tastes. Rivalry was thick in the music industry and it was no longer completely about selling records, even though I had sold more than 150 million albums and over a billion singles at that point in my career, shattering all kinds of records. It was about being a performer. Selling out arenas for hundreds—sometimes thousands, if bootlegged—of dollars per ticket and making the world believe you were the shit. That you could walk on water, that you were superhuman and unparalleled and untouchable. Untouchable? I was definitely that for an overabundance of reasons. I tried to quickly distance myself from the long-ago memories that were persistently clambering back and focus on my upcoming show that evening. As always, I was going to turn it out, but first I had to get dressed and go do a sound check. I hated sound checks. They were nothing but an intrusion on a perfect day. I had been doing the shit long enough that they should have known exactly what settings to have on the soundboards, but each venue space was different, so I dealt with it. Pure irony that I had never performed in Atlanta before. Then again, I had my reasons. Damn good reasons. Okay, the memories were coming back again. It was time to do something extreme . . . like playing in Thumper, aka my cooter, but what with? I scanned the room as “Rack City” by Tyga came on. Aw, yeah, some freaky shit for me to get off on! I stood up, grabbed my back scrubber with the wooden handle, and then sat back down in the tub. I moved the end of the handle in and out of Thumper and closed my eyes. I started gyrating my hips to the music, like I was a stripper named Nutcracker working the pole, except the pole was literally between my legs and inside of me. I slid it in deeper and deeper until I was thrashing around in the tub by the time the song ended. I was an expert at getting myself off quickly. “Damn!” I yelled out as I reached a toe-curling climax. Then I sighed. It was what it was and I needed to finish bathing and get dressed. It was only a matter of time before Diederik, Antonio, and Kagiso—my three bodyguards—who occupied the suites surrounding mine, would come to get me for the sound check. One of them was always stationed outside my door. Too many damn nuts in the world obsessed with celebrities. One usually stayed in the lobby at all times, by the elevator as well. I felt like that only drew unnecessary attention, but they insisted. There is a very high cost for fame that no one could ever comprehend until they find themselves in that position. Kagiso was straight from the African bush. At least, I would tease him about that. In all actuality, he was six feet five inches of intelligence, brawn, and fineness. Dark as midnight, with skin softer than butter, these clear brown eyes, and a cleft in his chin that women found to be an instant panty wetter. He had a master’s in early childhood education that he had obtained after moving to the United States on a visa to go to school. Don’t ask! Imagine a man that size sitting in a circle with five-year-olds. He had done it, though, for an entire decade, before he decided to pursue something else. Antonio was from East L.A., born and raised, jumped into a gang at twelve, arrested for the first time at thirteen, and tired of living in chaos by sixteen. He ran away to San Diego, hung tight for a couple of years, joined the navy, served his country, and went into private security. At six two, he was the shortest of my bodyguards but was thicker than a Snickers, with muscles rippling everywhere. He had sepia eyes, dimples, cinnamon skin, and he was bowlegged—an added bonus. Diederik was Nordic and get this, six foot ten. Looked like a tree walking toward you. Spiked blond hair, ice-green eyes, and a gorgeous bone structure. He looked like “Suck my dick” spelled out. Yeah, I had some sexy-ass motherfuckers protecting my life, but I had never technically messed around with any of them, nor would I ever do such a thing. I happened to know for a fact that they all needed lap bands on their dicks, though. Men like them needed to come with both a warning label and a disclaimer: FUCK OR SUCK AT YOUR OWN RISK! This dick could possibly tilt your cervix, cause your clit to swell up like a balloon, and you may have to toss cups of soapy water at your pussy for several days afterward because it will be too sensitive to the touch. Antonio actually tilted a broad’s cervix once when we were touring in France. She had the nerve to try to slap me with a $12 million lawsuit. I did not have a damn thing to do with her making the decision to tackle that python in his pants. That shit was on her. People will sue over any damn thing when you have money, even if you’ve never met them, or even laid eyes on them before. When I saw photos of the chick, my first inclination was to ask Antonio what the hell he was thinking in the first place. But the women in France can be aggressive, and it’s not like I expected them all to be celibate year-round before they had to guard me. It was certainly not a prerequisite. They were grown-ass men who did grown-ass things. They were all single and free to mingle, but I was damned if I would pay some floozy for giving it up willingly and getting hurt. The most I would offer someone is a bottle of Advil and my condolences on having a big-ass pussy for the remainder of her natural life. I had thrown on a sexy little number of a dress and some pumps about fifteen minutes later and put on some makeup. I was not the type to use a stylist, hairdresser, and makeup artist around the clock; only when I was about to go onstage, do a photo shoot, interview, or whatnot. A lot of my counterparts went through all of that shit to walk out on the veranda to do Pilates. It was not that serious. However, I was not going to get caught looking like I just emerged from a cave, either, so I kept it simple and classy. I looked good as shit without makeup but did not feel like dealing with the drama from tabloids and ratchet websites looking for an opportunity to do a caption of me slipping. The knock came at my door. I grabbed my purse and went to answer it before someone panicked and knocked it down. I was not riding in the bulletproof SUV with my guards, though. I had other plans, and they were about to find that out.

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA

Update: As of 2013 I took this book off publication. However, you can still get it in Verses of Athine! Why did I take it down? Made my life easier because I went in and edited all the novellas again! Plus in Verses they are laid out in the order you need to read them. Book 5 in the series is in progress. Athine has accepted her appointed fate as protector of the N'Loron. She successfuly protected the veil between worlds for years, but now a new threat emerges from within the veil. Follow Athine on another great adventure to protect her world and keep the veil between worlds safe!

The stunning conclusion to the Last Descendants trilogy! Only one piece of the Trident of Eden remains — Isaiah, a rogue Templar agent, has discovered both the faith prong and the fear prong of this powerful relic. Should he possess the devotion prong, there is little that can stop him. For the time being, Owen and his fellow teens have established an uneasy alliance across Assassin and Templar lines in order to stop Isaiah while they still can. Over a thousand years earlier, Styrbjorn the Strong, a Danish warrior, leads the Jomsvikings against the Danish king, Harald Bluetooth. It is on those Viking battlefields that the secrets of the devotion prong lie. It is there that the fate of the world, the truth behind the teens' collective unconsciousness, and their ancestral links to one another lie. History has already been written. The rest is up to Owen, Javier, and the other members of their unlikely alliance. The actions they take will change the world of Assassin's Creed forever.

An ancient god on a destructive path of vengeance... Imprisoned by the Archangel Lucifer ages ago, Summit, the Dark God, wanted nothing less than equivalent retribution. After breaking free and successfully retaining some splintered shards of his sanity, Summit set out to confront Lucifer. The Archangel was nowhere to be found. He had, however, left behind his coveted mortal bride. The Dark God stormed into Hell to capture Lucifer's one and only weakness, but inadvertently, he abducted the wrong bride - his own.This is the final installment of The Dark God's Bride Trilogy.

In the wake of the cataclysm many new alliances are forming even as old ones dissolve. As Sanglant struggles to legitimize his own leadership, the Aoi are carrying out random attacks-while implicating him as their leader. Stronghand has begun a march of conquest into the heart of Sanglant's realm. Adelheid and Antonia have made an unholy alliance. And Sabella and Duke Conrad are moving to seize Sanglant's crown. Cultures, religions, and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world.

"[Bill James'] strangely compelling series offers its own ample rewards."—Mystery SceneFor years Panicking Ralph Ember and Mansel Shale have run profitable drugs empires in peaceful cooperation with each other, and ACC Iles will blind-eye their trade as long as it keeps violence off the streets. But this happy arrangement is threatened by foreign dealers moving in and offering not just drugs, but punters—exploited girls from Eastern Europe. And bloody gang warfare threatens as a scrabble for territory ensues.

Policemen Harpur and Iles get mixed up in the criminal world of fine art dealingDetective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur feels a sort of warmth towards Jack Lamb, a brilliantly prosperous but profoundly dodgy fine arts dealer. Lamb is the greatest informant Harpur has ever dealt with – might be the greatest informant any police officer has ever dealt with – and although Jack ended this arrangement some time ago, Harpur still feels indebted to him.Lamb's posh manor house is stuffed with expensive paintings, ripe for the pinching . . . and small-time thief George Dinnick and his crew intend to relieve him of a few. But their plans are complicated by local big-time crook Ralph Ember, who is on the lookout for some art to elevate his gentleman's club, The Monty; and who else would he visit to procure this art but Jack Lamb? Add to the mix odd-job man and stolen-art procurer Basil Gordon Loam – aka Enzyme – who Harpur and...

Kurt Wallander is twenty one and new to the police force - and he won't let anything stand in the way of solving his first murder case Wallander finds his neighbour dead: a revolver in his hand, and a bullet through his head. Suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the apparently open and shut case of suicide, Wallander starts an off-the-books investigation - only to find that following his instincts is a very dangerous thing to do. Discover the case that began Kurt Wallander's career - first published in The Pyramid, a collection of short stories featuring Wallander.COMING SOON: An Event in Autumn - a new, never before published Wallander novella.

From 6 NYT bestselling authors: SINFUL SECONDS! SINFUL SURRENDER by Elisabeth Naughton He's been watching her, and now he's here, in the dimly lit bar of the swanky Vail resort, pretending not to notice her. Songwriter Grace Ryder has never liked the spotlight, but her skin tingles whenever his sexy gaze drifts her way. Only one night will prove whether he's safety or sin. Aegis operative Brian Walker's orders are clear: observe, but don't touch. Things change, though, the moment the leggy brunette makes him an offer he can't refuse. Desire leads to seduction, but it comes at a price. Because someone wants her dead, and if Brian's not careful, his obsession for a woman he never should have touched could get them both killed. SINFUL RAPTURE by Alexandra Ivy Holly Sullivan has always been the good girl, but when her fiancé jilts her at the altar she spends her non-wedding night at The Playhouse indulging her deepest desires. Liam fell in love with Holly at first glance. Unfortunately, she hates him for buying her father's business. Following her to The Playhouse, he devotes the night to fulfilling her fantasies. But will she forgive him when his secret is revealed? SINFUL SECRETS by Cynthia Eden One year ago, Catherine Donnelly spent a wild night in a stranger's arms. Sexy and mysterious, Jason August broke through all of Cat's defenses. But when dawn came, she ran from his bed, and she never looked back. Until now... Catherine vanished from Jason's life before, and he isn't about to let her escape again. Cat will discover that the only man who can truly keep her safe in a world gone mad...well, that would be the man she married a year ago, on one hot Vegas night... SINFUL IN SPURS by Laura Wright Champion bull rider, Sawyer Black has one goal when he isn't competing in the arena: watch out for his best friend's little sister. But Keely is turning out to be anything but cooperative. The once shy, small town girl has turned into a gorgeous and very stubborn hellcat with big city excitement on her mind. And when Sawyer returns from a rodeo to find her gone, he knows he will do anything it takes to bring her home. Keely O'Hare is sick and tired of her brother's best friend babysitting her. It's her final year of college and she's ready to explore the dark sexual needs she's been keeping secret in her heart. So when Sawyer goes away for work, Keely escapes to the city and to the notorious sex club, The Playhouse. But when Sawyer finds her there, unexpected and explosive sexual tension flares hot and heavy between them--and Keely refuses to return home with him until he spends two nights in The Playhouse with her. If he wants to bring along his bull rope? Even better. SINFUL SEDUCTION by Katie Reus As an heiress from a prominent family, Mina knows the pain of living under a microscope. Which is why she loves her sleepy Key West home where nobody knows her name. She's determined to make her way without being coddled--and no mugging is going to change that. Former Marine Alexander Blue has seen enough bloodshed to last a lifetime. When he sees a mysterious brunette attacked by a mugger, his need to protect kicks into overdrive. Mina brings him home and bandages him up, but her gaze cuts clear to his soul. An intense connection isn't all Blue feels--he's convinced Mina needs his protection. Just one problem: Mina doesn't want saving. SINFUL DECEPTION by Joan Swan In need of fast cash to help her brother sneak into the US, Tova Sorenson takes a job as a sexcam operator, sparking an unlikely friendship with her very first customer. When Marcus Lucero's border patrol teammate suggests a sexcam site for female companionship without heartache, Marcus figures he's got nothing to lose. While danger from Tova's dark side brings them together in the flesh where their chemistry burns hotter than hell, it also exposes their divergent loyalties which could end not only their desires, bu

'Dead Europe sets sharp realism against folk tale and fable, a world of hauntings and curses against a fiercely political portrait of a society. The energy in the writing, the pure fire in the narrative voice and the fearlessness of the tone make the novel immensely readable, as well as fascinating and original, and establish Christos Tsiolkas in the first rank of contemporary novelists.' Colm Toibin Isaac is a photographer in his mid-thirties, travelling through Europe. It is the post-Cold War Europe of a united currency, illegal immigration and of a globalised homogenous culture. In his mother's mountain village he encounters a Balkan vampire. Subsequently, as his journey continues across Italy, Eastern Europe and Britain he discovers that ghosts keep appearing in the photographs he takes, providing clues to a family secret and tragedy. Parallel to Isaac's story we are in the Greece of World War II. A peasant family is asked to provide protection to a Jewish boy fleeing...

Peter Thompson, a typical seventh-grader, finds himself touring the planet with his friends Susan Simmons and Duncan Dougal, and three aliens in disguise! Their mission? To file the final report that will determine Earth's future in the universe. As the clock ticks away the hours before their meeting in space, the tour becomes weirder and weirder. The three friends come face to face with a plague of poots and "Big Julie" - the weirdest alien yet! Meanwhile, Peter discovers a secret hidden for decades. Will his discovery save the Earth, or is it already too late to stop the aliens from destroying the planet?

One man's blackly funny quest for love, self-knowledge and the solution to the impenetrable mysteries of the opposite sex. Daniel Savage's marriage and career have failed and his love life is a disaster. All he has left is a grimy bedsit and his six-year-old daughter. Who does he blame for his life? Himself. Men in general. And women, of course. Because Daniel thinks women are a nightmare from which there's no waking up. Is he right? He's determined to find out - firstly by trawling through the history of every relationship he's had, and secondly, by dating every woman he can find...