Three years ago, a sudden darkness covered the Earth. Everyday, people fight to survive. One person turned the tides and now, he must find a way to free himself from his own lie to stay alive.It was a time darkness covered the Earth. Fear, loss, and pain we a part of everyone's lives, regardless of who or where they were. People fought to survive against an invading force that seemed to have no weakness. One individual, a bitter young man who lost everything including his soul over the those horrid years, continues to help others stay alive. Until that fateful night when he turned the tides of the war, everything changed. Now, he must endure the truest nature of his regret and free himself from the lie he created... and stay alive.

I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself. And then the games began. The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . . .

From C. C. Hunter, the New York Times bestselling author of the Shadow Falls series, comes another story set in the Shadow Falls world.Werewolf Fredericka Lakota prefers to be alone. Even years after being abandoned by her rogue werewolf father, she's still never found a place for herself in Shadow Falls. Fredericka's only comfort comes from the jewelry she creates...and now from Brandon Hart, the owner of a new art gallery who wants to showcase Fredericka's work.But Fredericka's life has gotten more complicated: she's learned her father has died, the death angels from the falls are calling to her, an ex won't let her go, and she may be seeing the ghost of a missing woman who needs her help. On top of all that, her attraction to the mysterious Brandon only grows stronger; but if other supernaturals won't accept a rogue werewolf, how could a human? Originally released as part of the anthology Almost Midnight, Fierce is a...

In 1943, The United Kingdom is alive with men and women making ready for the greatest invasion in history: preparing to assault Hitler's Fortress Europe. The skies are full of training aircraft, their engines merging with the throb of the RAF and USAAF bombers heading on round-the-clock missions against Germany. With fresh bloodshed on the horizon, the coming Christmas preparations seem even more poignant. But with just ten days to go, the seasonal mood is shattered in the quiet market town of Wantage in Berkshire by the discovery of two badly battered bodies. It seems that the victims were tortured before being beaten to death. Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Livermore and DS Suzie Mountford, Tommy's right-hand woman and secret lover, are assigned to the case. The bodies are identified as Lieutenant Colonel Tim Weaving, an officer commanding a detachment from the Glider Pilot Regiment stationed at a nearby airfield; and Emily Burrage, wife of the town's hero, an officer with the Desert Rats who was awarded the Victoria Cross at Tobruk. As they begin to investigate the double murder, Tommy and Suzie are joined by Curry Shepherd, a representative of the Intelligence Services. It is possible that an enemy agent has interrogated Tim Weaving and as he was in possession of information concerning the plans for Overlord---the Allied plan for the invasion of occupied Europe---things become urgent. Suzie finds herself seconded to War Office Intelligence Liaison and so enters the secret world. This is a surprising, dark, and imaginative novel from one of Britain's best thriller writers.

Bringing sixteenth-century Languedoc vividly to life, Kate Mosse's The Burning Chambers is a gripping story of love and betrayal, mysteries and secrets; of war and adventure, conspiracies and divided loyalties . . . Carcassonne 1562: Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: SHE KNOWS THAT YOU LIVE. But before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, a chance encounter with a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon, changes her destiny forever. For Piet has a dangerous mission of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to get out of La Cité alive. Toulouse: As the religious divide deepens in the Midi, and old friends become enemies, Minou and Piet both find themselves trapped in Toulouse, facing new dangers as sectarian tensions ignite across the city, the battle-lines are drawn in blood and the conspiracy darkens further. Meanwhile, as a long-hidden document threatens to resurface, the mistress of Puivert is obsessed with uncovering its secret and strengthening her power . . .

Picking up a small pink shoe from the grass forever changed young Jackson Lee’s life. Not only did its presence mean that his sister Tessa was dead—murdered and stuffed in the deep, black water of a narrow well—but the shoe itself told him so. Tessa’s death triggers an even more horrific family massacre that, combined with this new talent he neither wants nor can handle, throws Jack’s life into a tailspin. The years quickly take him from state homes to the streets to grifting in a seedy carnival, until he finally becomes the cynical All Seeing Eye, psychic-for-hire. At last, Jackson has left his troubled past behind him and found a semblance of peace. That is, until the government blackmails him. Helping the military contain the aftermath of a bizarre experiment gone violently wrong, everything Jackson knows about himself will change just as suddenly as it did with his little sister’s shoe. And while change is constant...It’s never for the better.

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop returns to the “bewitching” world of the Black Jewels with a tale that will “leave readers’ hearts pounding” (Publishers Weekly).   The invitation was signed Jaenelle Angelline, she who had been both Witch and Queen...   Surreal SaDiablo, the former courtesan and assassin, is the first to arrive—only to find herself trapped in a nightmare created by the tangled webs of Black Widow witches. And if she uses Craft to defend herself, she risks being sealed in the house forever.    Now, Jaenelle and her family must rescue Surreal and the others inside without becoming trapped themselves—and uncover the monsters capable of designing such an evil place...Includes the Black Jewels short story “By The Time The Witchblood Blooms”

New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: heartwarming holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories?including one featuring Lora Leigh's genetically altered Feline Breeds?this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night. . .

When a leader of the local Wiccan community is found dead of an apparent overdose, her husband turns to E.S. Peters to find the real answers. With the help of his werewolf partner, Dusty, E.S. Peters seeks the truth as more witches die in mysterious and seemingly-unrelated ways. Will they unravel the mystery in time to save one of their own from “Perfect Love?”When a leader of the local Wiccan community is found dead of an apparent overdose, her husband turns to E.S. Peters to find the real answers. With the help of his werewolf partner, Dusty, E.S. Peters seeks the truth as more witches die in mysterious and seemingly-unrelated ways. Digging through the darkness that surrounds them, their quest takes them from the bars of Deep Ellum to the canals of Las Colinas and beyond. But will they unravel the mystery in time to save one of their own from “Perfect Love?”Author Note. This is a new version that has now gone through a professional editor due to early reviews of the book. ThanksA.M. Burns 5/01/2012

Everyone wants a dragon until they have to feed one.Rory’s personal guard knows the little dragon is bursting with magic which could revitalize all the farmer’s fields, and still rid an old man of his aches and pains. Too young to defend herself she’s forced to run when the king discovers she could also be his source to eternal youth.Adeline Ve’duer Remenon has been on the run for ten years. Framed for the murder of her entire family, and hunted by an elite force of warriors from the warmongering kingdom of Varscodia, she finds herself at the limits of her emotional resilience.On the night marking the tenth anniversary of her flight as a fugitive, Adeline broods over a painful past and contemplates a grim future. She has had no encounters with the Varscodian Enforcers in over three months. Most would consider that a good sign. But not Adeline. She has been shadowed by the conniving fiends long enough to realise how they work, and their lack of presence for so long does not bode well...

Book I. Uninvited Strangers;When a game of catch-ball suddenly goes wrong, Oliver wakes up in a place unlike any other.Soon his mind recalls the young blonde girl who would tell stories in the classroom. Alice said it was always tea time with the Hatter, but looking at the man on the opposite side of the table, Oliver was sincerely beginning to believe he had come down the wrong rabbit hole."Oh, that's just the dog lady. Ignore her, she's harmless." This is said often about Annabelle Carson, the "Dog Lady". And most of the time it's true. Annabelle prefers the company of dogs to people, and simply wants to live out her days in peace.Even when her house is broken into by a pair of mistaken criminals, she is brutally beaten, and most of her possessions destroyed, Annabelle simply wants to be left alone.But when the intruders harm her beloved pet dog, Annabelle grows angry. And the Dog Lady has a lot of friends.(This is my first attempt at a horror story, please be gentle Hahaha, if it's deemed acceptable, I may attempt another)

Durel lived alone with his power for ages. He also lived among the people during other ages, hate was slowly consuming him. Until the day he found his little white dog, no magic could teach him to love the way she did. After fifty years death came despite his magical spells. From that moment on Durel vowed he would be the only human to contact and destroy death himself. The lies would be removed.Field Manuals (FMs) are the bibles of the Army. They provide instruction and step-by-step procedures for just about anything and everything. There are well over 500 currently in use, with subjects ranging from infantry tactics, to knot tying, to nuclear operations...all the fun stuff. There's even one with the title, War and Operations Other Than War (FM 100-15), which pretty much sums up the all-encompassing nature of Field Manuals. Because of their general usefulness and utility, there is often crossover usage of FMs outside of the military in the civilian world. They are for the most part written in a straight-forward and easy-to-read manner, and usually have pictures and illustrations to go along with the text. Some folks use them to figure out a sound way to cross a river, how to read a map, or how to overthrow a dictator and start a revolution while cooking a mean batch of biscuits and gravy. Others like to flip through various FMs, such as the one on First Aid for Soldiers (FM 21-11), and its Appendix B, which deals with aid-and-litter carrying techniques, and for no particular reason, recaption the illustrations to tell a crude love story…

The story centers around Marie, a modern day 40-something housekeeper and Katriena, an 18th century slave girl of about 15 years old.Katriena is pregnant with her white master's baby, which she desperately wants to save.Marie, who is Katriena's only remaining descendent, is the baby's only chance of survival.Marie is a 40-something housekeeper leading a pretty humdrum existence in modern day Saltriver, Cape Town.She has regular church meetings, a grown son and a husband she barely talks to.Marie starts having excruciating back-ache and eventually loses track of parts of her day.Katriena is a 18th century slave-girl of about 15 years, who is pregnant with her white master's baby and desperate to save her unborn child.Johannes, a medicine man, promises to help her do this, using her link to Marie who is Katriena's only living descendent.

My mind is more than I have left.I’m not alright,But I’m okay.You’re gonna leave me alone,Anyway.The air is dry, the heat unbearable, and Lord Malspire Ronsteim is being flogged. Fractious and rebellious they say, yet he considers himself just craven and weakly, the crippled son of a Lord Admiral and pale twin to the heroic Ajator. His bent body is tied to the frame where he is lashed to within an inch of his life. The spiteful and bitter Captain Crosp, wants Malspire's life.His wounds heal and Malspire befriends the crew who teach him the ways of the sea. Crosp is enraged and seeks yet another opportunity to rid himself of the cripple. Malspire is called upon to rescue a merchant from pirates. The fight is desperate and Malspire can tell that they are losing when he spies the enemy captain. He challenges the man to a duel. Although vastly out-skilled, Malspire is lucky or fate has a greater plan, for he survives and saves the beautiful Veinara with whom he falls in love. He knows he is bent and ugly but she seems to like him and offers him the hope. Malspire is not to win her heart however as his brother, Ajator, is awaiting him at port. When the perfect Ajator and Veinara's eyes meet, Malspire knows he has lost her. Out of loyalty and pride, the heart broken Malspire keeps his feelings to himself.The Wraith Deep is the name of the steam frigate taken as prize and given to the now newly promoted Captain Malspire. The ship is a wreck and the ragtag crew he is given hardly enough to even set sail let alone fight the rebellion, yet Malspire is elated and high on dreams of adventure and discovery.Malspire puts to sea in his new ship. The rebels are amassing a fleet for an attack on the Empire’s western most port, but the Empire needs more intelligence. Malspire plans to take a rebel codebook. With the ship of a privateer the plan is simple: Sail into a rebel port in disguise and snatch one from under their very noses. Madness perhaps, but Malspire has little to lose and much to prove.Through cunning and luck, Malspire and his ship make it to the rebel port where he tricks a rebel officer, assumes his identity and steals aboard a rebel battleship. Here Malspire is forced to kill in order to take the book. Trapped and out of options he climbs over the side of the ship and swims for safety and comes within only a single breath of drowning. He has a copy of the codebook, so the Wraith Deep makes full speed for home but not before witnessing the rebel armada about to launch its strike.Pushing the ship and crew beyond all tolerance, Malspire takes the news directly to the High Admiral aboard the flagship, the Grand Oak, who together with the enigmatic secret agent of the Emperor, Lord Mornight Pavantu, orders Malspire to capture a rebel watchtower so that the Imperial Fleet can ambush the enemy.With the aid of a dainty beauty more deadly than arsenic, Malspire and his men overcome the watchtower. Malspire however is not satisfied, and decides to join the fleet. The night-time, epic battle that follows is a thunderous vision in black and white of hell and fire, and sees Malspire and his men make the ultimate sacrifice by using their ship as a battering ram to stop the rebel flagship from destroying the Grand Oak. Victory is theirs.Malspire, now a hero, and his victorious crew return home where fate twists and turns its unjust course. He is instantly placed under arrest by Lord Mornight Pavantu! The crime however is not Malspire's but his brother's. Ajator has attacked the master of the Secret Servants. Ajator is called a traitor and Malspire is now under the burning scrutiny of the feared Secret Servants. Pavantu however does not suspect Malpire, and helps him escape.Malspire is close to panic. His beloved brother, the great hero, is being called a traitor. Not only this, but Veinara arrives in the hope that Malspire will search for Ajator.Together with his crew and the now pregnant Veinara whom Malspire still secretly loves, they set off in search of Ajator. He must find his brother before the Empire does!

Eleven year old Jacob longs to be strong. He longs to be a hero, and living in service to one of Cairemia's mightiest knights you would think he'd have the chance. But alas, he is only a servant. That is, until danger strikes and he is the only one who can heed the call. His life endangered, his courage tested—he'll find out if he knows... How to Be a Hero.Eleven year old Jacob longs to be strong. He longs to be a hero, and living in service to one of Cairemia's mightiest knights you would think he'd have the chance. But alas, he is only a servant. That is, until danger strikes and he is the only one who can heed the call. His life endangered, his courage tested—he'll find out if he knows... How to Be a Hero.Set in the ancient land of Cairemia, How to Be a Hero is a short story that gives a glimpse into the exciting world of the upcoming Treasures of Darkness - Treasures of Light series as seen the through the eyes of one of book one's most beloved characters.Enter a medieval world of mystery and adventure.