BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Laurie R. King's Garment of Shadows. It’s only the second day of 1924, but Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It starts with a New Year’s visit from Holmes’s brother Mycroft, who comes bearing a strange package containing the papers of an English spy named Kimball O’Hara—the same Kimball known to the world through Kipling’s famed Kim. Inexplicably, O’Hara withdrew from the “Great Game” of espionage and now he has just as inexplicably disappeared.  When Russell discovers Holmes’s own secret friendship with the spy, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But Russell soon learns that in this faraway and exotic land, it’s often impossible to tell friend from foe—and that some games aren’t played for fun but for the highest stakes of all…life and death.

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, a powerful new reckoning with Jefferson Davis as military commander of the Confederacy. History has not been kind to Jefferson Davis. His cause went down in disastrous defeat and left the South impoverished for generations. If that cause had succeeded, it would have torn the United States in two and preserved the institution of slavery. Many Americans in Davis’s own time and in later generations considered him an incompetent leader, if not a traitor. Not so, argues James M. McPherson. In Embattled Rebel, McPherson shows us that Davis might have been on the wrong side of history, but it is too easy to diminish him because of his cause’s failure. In order to understand the Civil War and its outcome, it is essential to give Davis his due as a military leader and as the president of an aspiring Confederate nation. Davis did not make it easy on himself. His subordinates and enemies alike considered him difficult, egotistical, and cold. He was gravely ill throughout much of the war, often working from home and even from his sickbed. Nonetheless, McPherson argues, Davis shaped and articulated the principal policy of the Confederacy with clarity and force: the quest for independent nationhood. Although he had not been a fire-breathing secessionist, once he committed himself to a Confederate nation he never deviated from this goal. In a sense, Davis was the last Confederate left standing in 1865. As president of the Confederacy, Davis devoted most of his waking hours to military strategy and operations, along with Commander Robert E. Lee, and delegated the economic and diplomatic functions of strategy to his subordinates. Davis was present on several battlefields with Lee and even took part in some tactical planning; indeed, their close relationship stands as one of the great military-civilian partnerships in history. Most critical appraisals of Davis emphasize his choices in and management of generals rather than his strategies, but no other chief executive in American history exercised such tenacious hands-on influence in the shaping of military strategy. And while he was imprisoned for two years after the Confederacy’s surrender awaiting a trial for treason that never came, and lived for another twenty-four years, he never once recanted the cause for which he had fought and lost. McPherson gives us Jefferson Davis as the commander in chief he really was, showing persuasively that while Davis did not win the war for the South, he was scarcely responsible for losing it.

*We will dance on the cliffs of Brooklyn. Maggie’s Door* is the story of the journey from Ireland to America told by both Nory and her neighbor and friend Sean Red Mallon, two different stories with the same destination—the home of Nory’s sister Maggie, at 416 Smith Street, Brooklyn, America. Patricia Reilly Giff calls upon her long research into Irish history and her great powers as a storyteller in this deeply involving, riveting stand-alone companion novel to Nory Ryan’s Song. From the Hardcover edition.

Sold into slavery, Hekat dreams of power. Fate leads her to the warlord Raklion, and she begins turning dreams into reality. For the nameless god of Mijak is with her, and it promises her the world. Far away, the King of Ethrea is dying. His daughter Princess Rhian is ready to rule, but if her enemies have their way the crown of Ethrea will never be worn by a woman. Dexterity Jones is a toymaker. To protect Rhian and his country, he must place his trust in an exile from Mijak. Yet, as Ethrea comes ever closer to civil war, a greater danger awaits. Hekat still desires the world ... and power is no longer a dream. This omnibus edition of THE GODSPEAKER TRILOGY includes Empress, The Riven Kingdom and The Hammer of God.

Lysander Hawkley combined breathtaking good looks with the kindest of hearts. He couldn't pass a stray dog, an ill-treated horse or a neglected wife without rushing to the rescue. And with neglected wives the rescue invariably led to ecstatic bonking, which didn't please their erring husbands one bit. Lysander's mid-life crisis had begun at twenty-two. Reeling from the death of his beautiful mother, he was out of work, drinking too much and desperately in debt. The solution came from Ferdie, his fat, fast-operating friend: if Lysander was so good at making husbands jealous, why shouldn't he get paid for it? Let loose among the neglected wives of the ritzy county of Rutshire, Lysander causes absolute havoc. But it is only when he meets Rannaldini, Rutshire's King Rat of Rutshire and a temperamental, fiendishly promiscuous international conductor, that the trouble really starts. The only unglamorous woman around Rannaldini was Kitty, his plump young wife who ran his life like clockwork. Soon Lysander was convinced that Kitty must be rescued from Rannaldini at all costs, even if it means enlisting the help of the old blue-eyed havoc maker: Rupert Campbell-Black.

A CROWN PRINCESSA SCANDALOUS SECRET CRUSHA KINGDOM ON THE BRINK OF DISASTERIn her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.When the palace guard captures an intruder--a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy--Alera is alarmed...and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

Sloan is a hunter. So she shouldn't be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it's been hard to talk to people, and near-impossible to go anywhere or do anything without her dad or big sister within eyesight - it makes her too scared to be on her own. When they leave her home alone for what should only be two nights, she's already panicked. Then the snow starts falling and doesn't stop. One of her neighbors is hurt in an accident. And the few people still left in Rusic need to make it to the river and the boat that's tied there - their only way to get to a doctor from their isolated Alaska town. But the woods are icy cold, and the wolves are hungry. Sloan and her group are running out of food, out of energy, and out of time. That's when the wolves start hunting them. . . .

This December, a girl who hates Christmas is in for the surprise of her lifeTen-year-old Christina Lucci absolutely despises everything about Christmas. The carols, the eggnog, the decorations—and most of all, Santa Claus. And for good reason: It all reminds her of her firefighter father, who loved the holiday season but died on the job last Christmas. For Christina, no Christmas will ever be merry again. To make things worse, this year, her grandfather's shoe repair shop is failing. Bills keep piling up and the bank is ready to seize the shop. What Christina needs is a Christmas miracle.With the holidays fast approaching, Christina's miracle comes in the form of magical brownies, spunky little creatures who just happen to be great at repairing shoes. These tiny helpers have the power to turn Christina's whole life around—and maybe even get her back in the Christmas spirit.

When a beautiful blonde turns his head, a mob enforcer risks losing his neck Charley Partanna sits in his office, quietly rigging an election. As the chief executioner for the Prizzi family, he has taken time out of his busy schedule of cold-blooded murder to ensure that New York reelects its mayor, and that dirty money continues to flow his way. When he isn't killing snitches or stealing votes, Partanna goes to night school, but tonight, his homework will have to wait. The Prizzis are going to war. For Partanna, a mob war is nothing but an inconvenience. The streetwise underboss can make a hit completely undetected. But when he makes the mistake of falling in love with the don's granddaughter, Partanna will see just what kind of trouble the Prizzi family can cause. Prizzi's Family is the 2nd book in the Prizzi series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That's why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she's just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died. It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren't working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine. With winsome humor and a dash of small-town charm, Lisa Graff's third novel is a...

Hailed as the perfect series for kids not quite ready for Harry Potter, THE SECRETS OF DROON series is enchanting young readers everywhere! Lord Sparr is back... and meaner than ever! This time, he is in search of the Coiled Viper, an ancient magical object of unknown, incredible power. Princess Keeah and her Upper World friends - Eric, Neal, and Julie - know they have to stop Sparr from uncovering the Viper. But there's one little catch. The Viper can't be found in Droon... because it's hidden somewhere in the Upper World!

"Don't even try to make me smile about this," Charlie Hickle warns his parents. They've just dropped a major bombshell: They're getting a divorce -- and they expect him to be happy for them! Well, Charlie has some big news for Mom and Dad: he's not going to let them get away with this! Instead of being cheerful, he launches a campaign to show them how he really feels. He refuses to eat this mother's cooking. He causes trouble in school. He makes nasty remarks about his father's shabby new apartment. But no matter what he does, his parents just don't seem to get the picture. Isn't it obvious they're ruining his life?From the Trade Paperback edition.

The original series from the Master of Fright—now a major motion picture in theaters August 7, 2015! The original books featuring the scariest creatures from the Goosebumps movie, in theaters August 7th, 2015! Erin Wright and her best friend, Marty, love horror movies. Especially Shocker on Shock Street movies. All kinds of scary creatures live on Shock Street. The Toadinator. Ape Face. The Mad Mangler. But when Erin and Marty visit the new Shocker Studio Theme Park, they get the scare of their lives. First their tram gets stuck in The Cave of the Living Creeps. Then they're attacked by a group of enormous praying mantises! Real life is a whole lot scarier than the movies. But Shock Street isn't really real. Is it?

Neal Asher has been publishing short fiction and books in the small press in Britain for several years, and made a successful move to paperback in 2001 with Gridlinked. He got a sheaf of favorable notices. “This is a brilliant and audacious work, chock-full of cutting-edge ideas. . . . I look forward to [his next books] enormously and to seeing Asher receive the success he is clearly destined for. Highly recommended,” said SFRevu.com. Now Asher crosses the Atlantic and breaks into hardcover with Gridlinked, a science fiction adventure in the classic, fast-paced, action-packed tradition of Harry Harrison and Poul Anderson, with a dash of cyberpunk and a splash of Ian Fleming added to spice the mix. Cormac is a legendary Earth Central Security agent, the James Bond of a wealthy future where "runcibles" (matter transmitters controlled by AIs) allow interstellar travel in an eye blink throughout the settled worlds of the Polity. Unfortunately Cormac is nearly burnt out, "gridlinked" to the AI net so long that his humanity has begun to drain away. He has to take the cold-turkey cure and shake his addiction to having his brain on the net.Now he must do without just as he’s sent to investigate the unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand in a thirty-megaton explosion. With the runcible out, Cormac must get there by ship, but he has incurred the wrath of a vicious psychopath called Arian Pelter, who now follows him across the galaxy with a terrifying psychotic killer android in tow. And deep beneath Samarkand's surface there are buried mysteries, fiercely guarded. This is fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat entertainment -- an American debut that's sure to make a splash and launch Neal Asher in a big way.At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Aliens meets Under the Dome in this new post-apocalyptic novel from New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow.It could have been aliens, it could have been a trans-dimensional rift, nobody knows for sure. What's known is that there was an Event, the Rifts opened up, and everyone caught inside died. Since the Event certain people have gone into the drift... and come back, bearing priceless technology that's almost magical in its advancement. When Ashe — the best Rifter of her generation — dies, the authorities offer her student, Svinga, a choice: go in and bring out the thing that killed her, or rot in jail. But Svin, of course, has other plans... How far would you go and what would you risk to win the ultimate prize?For more from Lilith Saintcrow, check out:Blood Call Bannon and ClareThe Iron Wyrm AffairThe Red Plague AffairThe...

Two delightful holiday stories from the New York Times bestselling author in one glorious e-book edition.A Season of AngelsWhen three willing but wacky angels — Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy — are given a Christmas prayer to answer, there's just one catch: each angel must teach her charge a memorable lesson before the wish can be granted.Touched by AngelsNew York City is always in need of miracles, and this Christmas is no exception. Thank heavens the divinely inspired, if slightly dizzy trio — Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy — have winged in to answer three Christmas wishes and teach a few lessons along the way. As usual, they've come up with three deserving souls who are about to discover that with this crew, when you wish upon a star, you get a lot more than a pretty song.

Sensual Magic is a novella that was originally published in the What Happens in Vegas...After Dark anthology, published with Spice in 2009 —now available as a digital novella on its own as of 8/15/2016. Two years ago, William Emery believed in love. Deciding to make his permanent home in Boston and start a nightclub there, he was locking down funding and approving the font on wedding invitations. Until he found out his fiancée was little more than a faithless gold digger. Emotionally devastated, he moved to Las Vegas where his younger brother lived and began work to create the kind of club he'd always wanted to run. And to drown the memories of his idealism in a sea of female flesh. If you didn't involve your heart, it never got broken. Nell Hunter is a witch on the trail of a human who's stolen from her people. This human is working with a group of mages stealing money and power from the clans and cabals, relying on the need for secrecy...

Curl up with Cathy Lamb, an author you will come to cherish, as she makes you laugh, cry and reach for the chocolate...Ever since the Bommarito sisters were little girls their mother has written them a letter on pink paper when she has something especially important to tell them. And this time, the message is urgent and impossible to ignore, she requires open heart surgery, and Isabelle and her sisters are needed at home to run the family bakery and to take care of their brother, Henry, and ailing grandmother.Poignant, funny, and as irresistible as one of the Bommarito Bakery's delicious giant cupcakes, Henry's Sisters is a novel about family and forgiveness, about mothers and daughters, and about gaining the wisdom to look ahead while still holding tight to everything that matters most.

Book 4 of 4 (Book 1 & 2 tell one tale). Unbroken is the second and final book in the "UNDEFEATED" series. It follows the lives of Shane and Kace from the first book. As Shane Dekkar prepares for the biggest fight of his career - the Heavyweight Championship of the World - life throws him an unexpected uppercut so damaging he takes a step back and reconsiders EVERYTHING. In his reevaluation of life and all things in it, he migrates to where he found comfort for years, street fights and bare knuckles matches for spare cash. Risking his career, health, the championship, his relationship, and his friends, Shane must find a way to rise from the muck and mire he's living in and either fight for what he believes in, or remain where he currently finds comfort - in the bowels of society. Can people truly change or do we always naturally migrate to a place of comfort in hard times? Will Shane go back to his love, friends, and life, or will he revert to his roots and be a loner? 

Few authors have understood the tender intricacies of relationships better than the incomparable Belva Plain. For three decades her deeply moving epics have captivated the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere. Now, in her final novel, she comes full circle with the themes she took up in her very first work, Evergreen, bringing us this unforgettable story of family and friendship, love and marriage, the challenges of life and the true secret of happiness.Though Iris Stern considers herself a modern woman, with a successful academic career and a happy marriage, she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. But as the mother of three adult children, each with their own lives and burdens to bear, she often finds those sensibilities called into question when confronted with the choices her children have made. For one of Iris's daughters, it's the choice of a fresh start in New York City--and a last chance to save her troubled marriage....

From New York Times-bestselling author Nick Bilton comes a true-life thriller about the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts, the founder of the online black market Silk Road. In Hatching Twitter, Nick Bilton gave readers an astonishingly reported, riveting, and impeccably crafted story of the politics and power struggles behind the founding of Twitter. Now Bilton turns his investigative journalism to the story of Ross Ulbricht, the notorious and enigmatic founder of a drug empire called Silk Road. In 2011, Ulbricht, a 26-year-old libertarian idealist and former Boy Scout, launched "a website where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them." He called it Silk Road, opened for business on the Dark Web, and christened himself the Dread Pirate Roberts (after the Princess Bride character). The site grew at a tremendous pace, quickly becoming a $1.2 billion enterprise where...