Follow the paths of two psychopathic killers from childhood to adulthood and feel the anger and sadness for them. Deep inside the darkest part of you, there might be just a little empathy for the killers. You may actually find yourself feeling like some of their victims deserved what happened to them. (If there is such a thing as deserving to die).What Bucket-Man lacks in superpowers, he makes up for in having an overturned bucket for a helmet. Bolstered by his lack of common sense, he faces insane challenges from the likes of Ninja Janitor and Boring Man. And then come the *Spoiler Alert* plot twists and unlikely team-up! And these are just the first 4 of 19 stories available in the full compendium! For all the quirkiness of comic book superheroics—light on the superheroics, heavy on the comedy—look for The Adventures of Bucket-Man and His Ostensible Enemies!

A true animal lover will come to the aid of any animal in distress. Mr. Franklin tells how it began by him taking in a stray dog. As soon as others get wind of his soft heart, all manner of animals soon join him, and they're not what you would think...A true animal lover will come to the aid of any animal in distress. Mr. Franklin begins by taking in a stray dog, but when others get wind of his soft heart, all manner of animals soon join him, and they're not what you would think...

It was nothing personal, just a business arrangement. Ryan McKay is a multi-millionaire with a problem. He needs a bride to fulfill the terms of his grandfathers will. Unfortunately, the one he chose just bailed on him and hes hours away from losing his company. Enter Faith Lewis his demure, devoted assistant. Ryan convinces Faith to step in and marry him, assuring her their marriage is merely a business deal. Ryan is certain he can keep this strictly impersonal. After all, hes the product of a loveless marriage and for years has sealed his own heart in an icy stone. Despite Faiths warmth, compassion and allure, hes convinced hes immune to her charms. Faith will do anything for her boss, but marry him? The shy virgin sees herself as plain and unattractive, a product of a bitter mother who drummed into her head that she wasnt worthy of a mans love. But she agrees to help Ryan fulfill the terms of his grandfathers will, hoping she doesnt lose her heart to him in the process. But love rarely listens to logic, and what follows is anything but business.

An unknown doomsday virus quickly claims the lives of four people across the country --- including Dr. Sophia Russell, a researcher leading the team trying to crack the disease. Devastated and enraged, her fiance, Lt. Colonel Jonathan Smith, uncovers evidence that his lover's death was no accident --- that someone out there has the virus, and the pandemic that threatens countless millions of lives was planned. Not knowing where to turn or whom to trust, Smith assembles a private team to aid his fight against the deadly virus. While the death toll mounts rapidly, their quest leads them to the highest levels of power and the darkest corners of the earth, as Smith and his team match wits with a determined genius out to destroy them, with the fate of the world in the balance ...

A blinding snowstorm--and a homicidal maniac--traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple set-up, Agatha Christie fashioned one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which, in turn, would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. From this classic title novella to the deliciously clever gems on its tail (solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple), this rare collection of murder most foul showcases the inimitable Christie at her inventive best, proving her reputation as "the champion deceiver of our time." (The New York Times) Includes the stories Three Blind Mice Strange Jest The Tape-Measure Murder The Case of the Perfect Maid The Case of the Caretaker The Third Floor Flat The Adventure of Johnny Waverly Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds The Love Detectives

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "[A]n extraordinary book, a work of staggering virtuosity. With its publication, a giant world of literature has just grown twice as tall."--Newsday From Ralph Ellison--author of the classic novel of African-American experience, Invisible Man--the long-awaited second novel. Here is the master of American vernacular--the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech--at the height of his powers, telling a powerful, evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century. "Tell me what happened while there's still time," demands the dying Senator Adam Sunraider to the itinerate Negro preacher whom he calls Daddy Hickman. As a young man, Sunraider was Bliss, an orphan taken in by Hickman and raised to be a preacher like himself. Bliss's history encompasses the joys of young southern boyhood; bucolic days as a filmmaker, lovemaking in a field in the Oklahoma sun. And behind it all lies a mystery: how did this chosen child become the man who would deny everything to achieve his goals? Brilliantly crafted, moving, wise, Juneteenth is the work of an American master. From the Trade Paperback edition.

A LOVE STORY ABOUT AN ALPHA MANWHORE AND A GOOD GIRL BY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR HM WARD Money. Power. Sex. Billionaire Pete Ferro is a manwhore and always will be. There aren't fifty shades of gray when it comes to love. Sometimes all we have is the here and now, and there aren't second chances -- so why pretend? That's the part I don't understand. Why does he act like he wants me one moment and then hate me the next? The man is sexy, with dark hair and a dimple at the corner of his crooked smile. He's forever swarmed by women, never wanting for anything. He doesn't want love. He doesn't want me. But those poems he writes, and the verses that run deeper than his alpha male exterior lets on, it leaves me wondering if I've fallen for a man or a myth. *Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance This story unfolds over multiple volumes Length: Approx. 130 pgs *

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Carson McCullers--novelist, dramatist, poet--was at the peak of her powers as a writer of short fiction. Here are nineteen stories that explore her signature themes: wounded adolescence, loneliness in marriage, and the tragicomedy of life in the South. Here too are "The Member of the Wedding" and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," novellas that Tennessee Williams judged to be "assuredly among the masterpieces of our language." (A Mariner Reissue)

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Tess Gerritsen's The Silent Girl. Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. PECCAVI The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell–Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club. On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us. With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone–or something–is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own–or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness? Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.

Collected in this anthology of death-defying passion are four of MaryJanice Davidson’s wildest novellas of paranormal romance, featuring an amorous ghost, a witch and witch-hunter, a love-struck psychic, and a vampire and a werewolf. 4-in-1 novella reissue Together for the first time, four devilishly entertaining novellas by the New York Times bestselling author prove that there’s not only life after death, but desire too... The Fixer-Upper (originally published December 2004 in Berkley trade paperback MEN AT WORK anthology and November 2005 in mass market paperback) Cathy’s new home is handsomely furnished—by an amorous male ghost. If only she had something she could...touch. Her neighbor may have a lousy personality, but he does have a perfect body. Now, spirit is about to meet flesh, to Cathy’s delight. Paradise Bossed (originally published July 2006 in Berkley Sensation trade paperback SURF’S UP anthology and May 2009 in mass market paperback) While traveling in the Cayman Islands, Nikki loses her life in a tragic accident, but has no intention of cutting her vacation short. When a handsome male psychic is engaged to get a grip on Nikki’s spirit, he does more. He finds himself falling in love with her. Driftwood (originally published January 2007 in Berkley Sensation mass market paperback OVER THE MOON anthology) A Cape Cod werewolf agonizes over the death of a woman by his own paw. Well, to be fair, he never really killed her. She’s a vampire. Now she needs his help to kill the bloodsucker who turned her. Witch Way (originally published March 2007 in Berkley Sensation trade paperback DEMON’S DELIGHT anthology) For centuries their families have been embroiled in a violent, irreversible feud. Today, can a witch and a witch-hunter find common ground...without killing each other first? Sometimes opposites do attract.

This eerie tale of psychological horror sees the real inhabitants of turn-of-the-century Princeton fall under the influence of a supernatural power. New Jersey, 1905: soon-to-be commander-in-chief Woodrow Wilson is president of Princeton University. On a nearby farm, Socialist author Upton Sinclair, enjoying the success of his novel The Jungle, has taken up residence with his family. This is a quiet, bookish community - elite, intellectual and indisputably privileged. But when a savage lynching in a nearby town is hushed up, a horrifying chain of events is initiated - until it becomes apparent that the families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. The Devil has come to this little town and not a soul will be spared. 'The Accursed' marks new territory for the masterful Joyce Carol Oates - narrated with her unmistakable psychological insight, it combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling fantastical elements to stunning effect.

"I will be as wild as I wanna be." After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and step-sibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects -- and she's far from the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined.

Hello Diary, Sorry, it’s been a while since I have been able to write. As you know, my dad is a modern-day Noah, always working on building his ark, trying to save folks and getting my brother and I ready for the impending end of days – whatever that means. One thing I did learn (the hard way), is that going through an apocalyptic event doesn't mean the end of the world. There was nothing in his prepper manuals that could prepare us for what actually happened. I had nothing to prepare me for Jaeden and Lachlan. Heck, I don’t know of any girl that would have been prepared for those two. There was nothing to prepare any of us for the things that go bump in the night, or the creatures who have been hiding in the background that emerged when civilization collapsed. No, an apocalyptic event is just a set-up for things in our world to be shaken AND stirred. What will come out of this mess, remains to be seen. I’ll give more details soon, gotta go… ~Emma Reader Advisory This is a paranormal urban fantasy with strong themes of violence and sexual situations that are only suitable for readers over the age of 18. If you do not like dark romance, this is not the book for you. There are no zombies in this book. It is adult.

When Kerry's little brother forgets his stuffed bear at the laundry, Kerry ventures out at 11th p.m. to retrieve it for him. The laundry is deserted and kind of spooky, and while she's there three men burst in, dragging a bound and bloodied young man they insist is a vampire. Kerry helps him escape, only to be caught up in a desperate game between vampire hunters and their prey. «Full of tension and familiar vampire lore-and with a touch of romance-this should find a wide YA audience.» Booklist

Imagine a whole series of separate universes, made to suit the whims of a race of super-beings. Imagine these universes with their own laws, cultures, creatures, and ecologies -- all existing solely to please the fancies of their individual master. Then imagine one such universe constructed as a diabolical trap to destroy a single person -- the man called Robert Wolff, one of the race of universe-makers, and once of Earth. When the satanic Master-Lord, Urizen, kidnap's Wolff's wife, he forces Wolff to enter the deadly universe of ambushes, filled with every kind of tortuous snare that the evil mind of the Master-Lord can advise. Wolff has only his courage and his wits with which to combat this cosmic maze -- unless he can perform a miracle, he and Chryseis are doomed.

An eBook boxed set that features the first three of A.J. Jacobs's riotous—and surprisingly informative—ventures into experiential journalism.The Know-It-All:  Puzzle along with A.J. as he endeavors to read—and retain—the entire encyclopedia, and discover what exactly it is he learns along the way.The Year of Living Biblically:  Discover what life would be like in the 21st century if you lived precisely by the dictates of the Bible—the insights gained about religion might surprise you.My Life as an Experiment: Join A.J. on a roller-coaster tour of life as a human guinea pig: he explores both the perks and pitfalls of various undertakings in a series of charming essays, including those titled “My Outsourced Life" and "My Life as a Beautiful Woman."

. A work of both scholarship and imagination. The Lost Choice is a legend of personal discovery—a reminder of the opportunities we each are given. When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, it starts a series of events that could change the world—again. Many search for the ancient relic's secret, but few find its truer purpose. What choices will each make—or lose?

The New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels novels have been hailed as “top-notch urban fantasy” (Monsters and Critics). Now, Ilona Andrews delves deeper into Kate’s world, and reveals its untold stories… After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea’s whole existence is in shambles. She tries to put herself back together by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend. When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano—the male alpha of the Clan Bouda, and Andrea’s former lover—die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate. Now she must work with Raphael as her search for the killer leads into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta. And dealing with her feelings for him might have to take a back seat to saving the world…

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For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this story features the DarkRiver Leopards (Alpha: Lucas) and the SnowDancer wolves (Alpha: Hawke). The narrator is Nate, the most senior sentinel in the DarkRiver pack. *First published in Nalini Singh's 10/2/12 newsletter.