Beard? Check. Alpha as hell? Check. Huge, hard lumber? Very check. The biggest outlaw on the mountain has his sights on one woman, and he’s carrying a very big axe… Beast. Monster. Outlaw. I’ve been called a lot of things, but let me promise you, a knight in shining armor ain’t f*ckin’ one of them. But when the man I’m supposed to kill lays a hand on her – the firecracker cocktail waitress with the soft lips and the sweet curves that make my pine tree grow – there’s no way I’m not stepping in. Beautiful, blonde, tempting as hell. She’s got a body that was made for me to claim, and legs that were born to spread around my bike. Or my waist. But I’m a man with a mission – a blood vendetta that has to be paid. Mixing it up with Larkin is a bad idea at best. At worst, it might get us killed. But once I feel that sweet little body of hers pressed against mine with my chopper rumbling between her legs, I know there ain’t a chance in hell I’m letting her go. I’m not here to save her. I’m here to take her – over my bike and across my bed. Pretty little Larkin is about to get a taste of how a real man claims his woman. Because up on my mountain, I carry a big axe. …And I know how to use it. Now didn’t I promise you that Axe was getting a book? ;) Get ready for Blackthorn Mountain’s biggest, baddest, most growly alpha hero and the sassy heroine he’s laid his eyes on. So light a fire, find a cozy cabin, and get ready for one truly panty-melting, bodice-ripping ride. As with all my books, this one is safe, with no cheating, and a HEA guaranteed.

Claire was a talented young fashion designer with a full scholarship to a prestigious design school in San Francisco when the unthinkable happened to her family. Two years later, she’s a twenty year old single mother, her younger sister just graduated high school with no prospects, her older sister is a complete mess, and she has to take care of them all. The last thing she expected was to meet someone like Damien. Damien is trapped by his past, in a small town on the northern coast of California. All he wanted was live out his life as a tattoo artist and MMA fighter at home in LA. Things had been going fine until a biker gang came along and blew it apart. He was biding his time in the little town, doing free tattoos for degenerates, until he met Claire. This book contains adult situations, strong language, and deals with subjects such as suicide, mental illness, and drug addiction. These themes take place in the hero and heroine's environment, and they are not directly involved in them.

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star — and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can’t get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat. But nothing’s more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel’s heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion — and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

The Jewish American novelist Henry Bech—procrastinating, libidinous, and tart-tongued, his reputation growing while his powers decline—made his first appearance in 1965, in John Updike’s “The Bulgarian Poetess.” That story won the O. Henry First Prize, and it and the six Bech adventures that followed make up this collection. “Bech is the writer in me,” Updike once said, “creaking but lusty, battered but undiscourageable, fed on the blood of ink and the bread of white paper.” As he trots the globe, promotes himself, and lurches from one woman’s bed to another’s, Bech views life with a blend of wonder and cynicism that will make followers of the lit-biz smile with delight and wince in recognition. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Two gentlemen standing outside a church in Rio de Janeiro see a respectable lady emerge - one of them has an unexpected, and to him inexplicable story to tell about her past life as a prostitute; a popular composer of polkas burns the midnight oil in a desperate attempt to create great classical music; a teenager finds himself caught up by the sight of the bare arms of an older woman who lives with his employer; an impoverished, lazy young man turns to the lucrative trade of catching runaway slaves; dull, monotonous Mariana has a tiff with her husband about the hat he wears to town, and decides to sing "the Marseillaise of matrimony" by going off on a trip to town herself with her more daring, flirtatious friend Sophia.These are some of the situations developed in these stories, some of the most brilliant to have been written in the nineteenth century. They echo Poe and Gogol, they anticipate Joyce, they have been compared to contemporary works by Chekhov, Maupassant, and Henry James, yet they are not quite like any of these. Anyone who has read Epitaph of a Small Winner or Dom Casmurro, his most famous novels, will want to savour these stories - those who haven't, will find them a varied and enjoyable introduction to Machado's work.

Before there was a modern-day town called Dark Moon Vale, there was an ancient kingdom nestled in the Transylvanian Alps. Before there was a primordial species called the Vampyr, there was a celestial race begotten of gods and men. Before light battled shadow, the sacrifice became mandatory, or the first Blood Moon adorned the celestial sky... There was the Curse. A punishment. An abomination. The ultimate act of vengeance. And it was placed upon a people so corrupted by their thirst for blood and dominion that they awakened the souls of the slain ~ and became the souls of the damned. Before the Blood Curse Series, there was a beginning. BLOOD GENESIS (A short-story prequel to the Blood Curse Series)

A tiny pistol, passed from friend to friend at a party on an abandoned pier, suddenly fires, and Casey Carmody falls into the water below. Kurt, Casey's older brother, endures a seemingly endless night at the police station while the coast guard searches for his sister and his friends are questioned, one by one.    Who was foolish enough to pull the trigger? Was the gunfire accidental or deliberate? Or was the whole drama one of Casey's practical jokes? And where is Casey--or her body--now?    Dark secrets are revealed and petty jealousies rear their ugly heads as each eyewitness comes to the questioning room with his or her own version of "the truth."

Sequel to national bestsellers Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom, Cauldron of Ghosts is the return of Secret agent Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat in the Wages of Sin, the classic tie-in series set in David Weber's Honorverse. TOIL AND TROUBLE IN THE CAULDRON OF GHOSTS The Mesan Alignment is a centuries-old cabal that seeks to impose its vision of a society dominated by genetic rank onto the human race. Now the conspiracy stands exposed by spies Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat — one an agent of Honor Harrington’s Star Kingdom of Manticore, the other a Havenite operative. The outing of the Alignment has turned the galaxy’s political framework topsy-turvy. Old coalitions have disintegrated. New alliances have been born. For starters, the long and hard-fought war between the Republic of Haven and the Star Empire of Manticore is not only over, but these bitter enemies have formed a new pact. Their common foe: the Mesan Alignment itself. But more information is needed to bring the Alignment out of the shadows. Now, defying the odds and relying on genetic wizardry themselves for a disguise, Zilwicki and Cachat return to Mesa — only to discover that even they have underestimated the Alignment’s ruthlessness and savagery. Soon they are on the run in Mesa’s underworld, not only hunted by the Alignment, but threatened by the exploding conflict on the planet between Mesa’s overlords and the brutalized slaves and descendants of slaves who have suffered under their rule for so long. But if Zilwicki and Cachat succeed in rooting out the ancient conspiracy, a great evil may be finally removed from the galaxy — and on a long-oppressed planet, freedom may finally dawn. About the Wages of Sin series: "Fans of Weber's Honor Harrington series … will be delighted with this offshoot in which he and coauthor Flint develop several situations and characters from other stories. ...This outstanding effort transcends the label 'space opera' and truly is a novel of ideas.” –Publishers Weekly

The recent publication by New Directions of five Lispector novels revealed to legions of new readers her darkness and dazzle. Now, for the first time in English, are all the stories that made her a Brazilian legend: from teenagers coming into awareness of their sexual and artistic powers to humdrum housewives whose lives are shattered by unexpected epiphanies to old people who don’t know what to do with themselves. Lispector’s stories take us through their lives—and ours. From one of the greatest modern writers, these stories, gathered from the nine collections published during her lifetime, follow an unbroken time line of success as a writer, from her adolescence to her death bed.

Valentine, a wanderer who knows nothing except his name, finds himself on the fringes of a great city, and joins a troupe of jugglers and acrobats; gradually, he remembers that he is the Coronal Valentine, executive ruler of the vast world of Majipoor, and all its peoples, human and otherwise... Valentine's journey is a long one, a tour through a series of magnificent environments. Fields of predatory plants give way to impossibly wide rivers, chalk-cliffed islands and unforgiving deserts. The prose is unrelentingly dreamlike—no accident given that on Majipoor, dreams rule the minds of great and humble alike. Originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in four parts: November 1979, December 1979, January 1980 and February 1980.

Drem longs for the day he will win his Warrior Scarlet. But with a withered spear arm, how will he take part in the ritual Wolf Slaying which will prove his worth as a man of the tribe? With over forty books to her credit, Rosemary Sutcliff is now universally considered one of the finest writers of historical novels for children. Winer of the Carnegie Medal and many other honours, Rosemary was awarded a CBE in 1992 for services to children's literature.

Gideon is a werewolf from the Scottish Highlands. He loves the haunting beauty of his home, but grappling with the destiny of being his clan's next alpha, he runs away to upstate New York. Where, working in a bookshop, he finds a human mate, who has to choose between love and protecting humankind.

Ivy and Olivia can't lose each other again! Even though twin sisters Ivy and Olivia, separated at birth, have only been reunited for a few months, they can't imagine life without each other. But Mr. Vega has decided to move to Europe--and he's taking Ivy with him! Oh, no! With Olivia's cheerleader optimism and Ivy's vampire craftiness, they're determined to come up with a plan that will keep Ivy and her dad in Franklin Grove. But what?

Make your skin tingle and your heart race with this short sampler of sweet, steamy, and tantalizing kiss scenes by ten bestselling authors. Excerpts by Sabrina York; Julie Johnstone; Bronwen Evans; Tammy Andresen; Monica Burns; Gina Conkle; Shana Galen; Vanessa Kelly; Amanda Mariel; and Meara PlattSusana and the Scot, Sabrina YorkMake your skin tingle and your heart race with this short sampler of sweet, steamy, and tantalizing kiss scenes by ten bestselling authors. Excerpts by Sabrina York; Julie Johnstone; Bronwen Evans; Tammy Andresen; Monica Burns; Gina Conkle; Shana Galen; Vanessa Kelly; Amanda Mariel; and Meara PlattSusana and the Scot, Sabrina YorkAndrew Lochlannach is famous for his conquests. Banished to the highlands after a kissing contest, he has no regrets—especially his embrace with the beguiling Susana. Susana is not some innocent farm girl, and she refuses to be just another conquest of the wicked Scot who won a kiss from her.My Fair Duchess, Julie JohnstoneYears of playing a rogue to hide a dark secret, leaves the Duke of Aversley feeling tainted beyond redemption until hope arrives in the form of a quick-witted lady. Facing financial ruin, Lady Amelia De Vere finds herself participating in a bet between her brother and the handsome Duke Of Aversley. A Whisper of Desire, Bronwen EvansLady Marisa Hawkestone’s nightmare begins when she wakes up naked next to Maitland Spencer, the “Cold Duke” of Lyttleton. As a Libertine Scholar, Maitland must be vigilant, despite his bride’s attractions. But now he must save Marisa, who sets his heart aflame or die trying.Midnight Magic, Tammy AndresenJessie Walsh is running for her life. Disguising her identity, she flees to Texas hoping she’s run far enough. Jake Tate has his hands full and doesn’t need another problem. But when passion ignites between them, will Jessie’s past destroy their future?Kismet, Monica BurnsA dark, seductive sheikh with a tortured past fights to control his obsession for a woman who offers him a wager he refuses to lose. What happens between them is...KISMET To Find a Viking Treasure, Gina ConkleSestra’s lived by her wits, but she wants security. Uppsala’s in turmoil and she holds the key to a buried treasure that means life or death for many. Brand’s plans don’t include saving anyone, especially not a lushly curved, sharp-tongued thrall. But he vows to protect Sestra, and they must now share trust.Earls Just Want to Have Fun, by Shana GalenMarlowe runs with the Covent Garden Cubs, a gang of thieves living in the slums. But she once went by a different name. Maxwell, Lord Dane, is intrigued by the beautiful hellion thought to be the lost daughter of a Marquess. Teaching her to navigate society’s eddies, he’s drawn into her dangerous world, where love is the greatest risk of all.How to Marry a Royal Highlander, by Vanessa KellyTen years after Alasdair Gilbride fled the Highlands and an arranged betrothal, tending to his responsibilities that would be much easier without the distraction of beautiful Eden Whitney. Snubbed by the ton, Eden is rusticating in the Scottish wilderness with only Alasdair for temptation. Now his life and her reputation are at stake—and their hearts already irreparably lost.Scandalous Intentions, by Amanda MarielFaced with losing his father’s support, notorious rake Lord Julian Luvington sets his sights on the respectable Lady Sarah. But the lady is not easily won. Lady Sarah Roseington is determined to marry for love. A blackguard like Luvington could destroy her reputation, but marriage has its advantages. What’s a lady to do? My Fair Lily, by Meara PlattEwan Cameron, proud of his Scottish heritage, visits London because of a deathbed promise. No one can tempt him to remain past his three-month obligation, except a beautiful bluestocking. When the Duke of Lotheil approaches Lily Farthingale with the chance to earn her place in the Royal Society, she accepts a challenge to reconcile Lotheil and his grandson.

Posing as a reporter for a ski magazine, Nancy sets out to uncover the truth behind Rebecca Montgomery's firing from posh Tall Pines cross-country ski resort.

Unsuitable romance is the theme of this wickedly comedic novel. A series of entanglements brings together an odd assortment of characters - clergymen, university dons, naive students, and academic hangers-on - with hilarious results.

All Lodge wants is for his gaming group to finish their adventure. Unfortunately, they're more interested in seducing barmaids, mooning their enemies, and setting random villagers on fire. Joined by that rarest creature of all - a girl! - they must overcome their bickering in order to save the kingdom.[Novelization of the award-winning independent film]All Lodge wants is for his gaming group to finish their adventure. Unfortunately, they're more interested in seducing barmaids, mooning their enemies, and setting random villagers on fire. Desperate to rein in his players, Lodge injects two newbies into the distrust: a non-player character controlled by Lodge, who the power gamers immediately distrust, and the rarest gamer of all -- a girl. Can the group overcome their bickering to save the kingdom, or will the evil necromancer Mort Kemnon triumph unopposed? A parody of fantasy films and the adventure gaming community, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is a hilarious romp through the world of sword and sorcery - in this case, a world of exploding peasants, giant house cats, and undead roast turkeys. Game on![Novelization of the award-winning independent film by Dead Gentlemen Productions and Zombie Orpheus Entertainment]

Horrific experiments took the two things that mattered most to William Strickland -- his family and his humanity. Now a twisted mutation of human and animal DNA, he is up against the most powerful corporation in the world... and all he has are his wits, his will and the wolf!An ex-military contractor tries to leave the world behind, but it’s not as simple as he thinks...especially once the blood lust strikes.Horrific experiments took the two things that mattered most to William Strickland -- his family and his humanity. Now a twisted mutation of human and animal DNA, he is up against the most powerful corporation in the world... and all he has are his wits, his will, and the wolf.Grab this riveting thriller today and free the beast inside!

Misanthrope, Percy Field, is completely at ease amongst his reserved middle England community. However, if he is to rescue his floundering marriage he must follow his wife and her job to Singapore. Percy’s new home is exactly as he imagined it to be: too hot, too humid, an annoying place where even his habitual comfort of picking fault doesn’t provide consolation, until friendship comes his way.In Book One of The Cult of Following trilogy, Englishman, Percy Field, takes his first uncertain steps towards a future no one could have foretold…Misanthrope, Percy Field, is completely at ease amongst his reserved middle England community. However, if he is to rescue his floundering marriage he must follow his wife and her job to Singapore. Percy’s new home is exactly as he imagined it to be: too hot, too humid, too different, an annoying place where even his habitual comfort of picking fault doesn’t provide enough consolation. Percy tries to improve his lot by making friends; a feat he has never before attempted, viewing it as unnecessary, undesirable and definitely not English! With the help of Singaporean, Joyann Tan, Percy begins to navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction only to find that unknown dangers lurk beneath the depths.

Eight vulnerable girls and their helpless teachers are forced off a school bus and held hostage. The madman who has them at gunpoint has a simple plan: one hostage an hour will die unless the demands are met. Called to the scene is Arthur Potter, the FBI's best hostage negotiator. He has a plan. But so does one of the hostages-a beautiful teacher who's willing to do anything to save the lives of her students. Now, the clock is ticking as a chilling game of cat and mouse begins.