Emi Nakano just wants to eat carrion in peace. And thanks to a business deal she had going with Goro Nanase, that was possible...until a group of teenagers posed a threat to her way of life. No big deal, though. She'll just scare them off; how hard can it be? Jikininki is eighth story in the Bestiary Tales.In Prohibition-Era Kansas City, being a part of the underworld was sometimes both a figurative and literal concept. In an underground speakeasy located just outside of the metropolis, Paul Verconi was already aware of the risks involved in simply being where he was and who he was. On this rainy night, he'd been looking for nothing more than a few drinks to soothe his nerves before heading home. However, what came looking for Paul would prove to be even tougher to swallow than the diluted bootleg whiskey swirling in his dirty glass: a drop-dead gorgeous dame that was enigmatic, curiously silent ... and perhaps even dangerous.

Take a walk through the park, meet a beautiful woman, feed the swan and fall in love. What sort of surprises can a simple walk through the park bring?A tale of reality not being what we see at first glance. Love can be manipulated and reality can be manufactured. Our simplest need to love and be loved can be had for a price. The feeling of falling in love may one day be had by paying an admission, drinking something the man at the gate gives you and taking a walk through the park. Claire is waiting!

Fear and chaos spread through the elven kingdoms as a dangerous scourge threatens to swallow the lands and their inhabitants. Hadrin, Prince of the night elves, embarks on a quest to end the curse once and for all. His journey takes him beyond the elven realms. Beset upon by enemies from numerous sides, the Prince must turn to whatever allies he can find for help.Fear and chaos spread through the elven kingdoms as a dangerous scourge threatens to swallow the lands and their inhabitants. Hadrin, Prince of the night elves, embarks on a quest to end the curse once and for all. His journey takes him past the elven realms and into lands both strange and distant. Beset upon by enemies from numerous sides, the Prince finds allies in a fellow elf, a hunter, a guardswoman, and three young villagers who have been caught up in their web of intrigue. Follow this unusual pairing of heroes as they set about to save the elven lands and perhaps the world itself.

Imagine a world. The Imago Mundi is Natasha's personal favorite masterpiece. It has the ability to port inhabitants on Earth to an entirely new planet in a distant galaxy.However, it is also a dangerous toy that should not be left unsupervised. Her apprentice has taken liberties with the device while the static reality on Earth has been breached by a deranged mage. Monday no longer exists.Richard Ross, joiner, part-time local football referee, ordinary man, is about to get a shock.It’s time to meet the relatives. But guess what? They’re all dead. Even worse, they are his past lives and all share the same soul - his!With help from his Strange Relations, an angel named Joe, and Roberta (Australopithecus Robustus), Richard has to learn the last lesson of life so all will be allowed to journey towards the Light. Richard is the last of a very long line and everyone’s last chance.One small problem though; Richard is in a coma and time is fast running out.

Through a stone labyrinth, in an underground crypt, Hector pursues a book of legendary power. Maddened monsters strive to strike down the lone wizard. Can the Grimoire grant Hector's wish?Captain Honey Bear is caught stealing honey from a bee's nest ---he is ordered to serve as the forest superhero. Come along for the ride while Captain Honey Bear tries to save Goldie Locks the squirrel. You'll meet some interesting critters of the forest in this cute fairy tale for the young at heart.

Follow JT Davis, and Michael Peterson back through The Mahogany Door as they risk their lives to save Kali Logan from an enigmatic, powerful force known only as "The Munch" in Book 2 of The Bruinduer Narrative.The song 'Arms of the Savior' by Elizabeth South (a companion song to the book) can be listened to here: https://www.reverbnation.com/elizabethsouth/song/12256100-arms-of-the-savior"They took her in the night." Brandy's eyes grew wide and she breathed in a mountain of salt air. "There were no usual signs of forced entry—no broken windows or doors, not even a miniscule amount of metal debris left from a key or screwdriver picking the lock. Nothing of that sort. The police did not even find a partial fingerprint or a trace of thread from any article of clothing. In a freak, blinding snowstorm Kali disappeared from her warm, inviting home outside of Baltimore, Maryland.” Follow JT Davis, and Michael Peterson back through The Mahogany Door as they risk their lives to save Kali Logan from an enigmatic, powerful force known only as "The Munch" in Book 2 of The Bruinduer Narrative.

In 1977 all four members of the rock band Toten Herzen were murdered. Thirty five years later an investigation by British music journalist Rob Wallet led him to discover the band still alive in a remote village in southern Germany. He persuaded them to make a comeback. Hoax or strange reality? Find out in the only official account of Toten Herzen's long awaited reappearance.Between 1973 and 1976 Toten Herzen sold over eight million albums and toured the arenas of Europe and the US. In 1977 all four members of the band were murdered by crazed fan Lenny Harper. Harper was only charged with wasting police time and the bodies disappeared. Thirty five years later, British music journalist Rob Wallet's investigation into the incidents of 1977 led him to discover the band still alive in a remote village in southern Germany. He persuaded them to make a comeback.The paranormal dark comedy We Are Toten Herzen is the authorised story of one music journalist's ambition to bring Toten Herzen back from the dead. From an isolated Dutch farmhouse to the teeming chaos of New York, via Suffolk and the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, fact and fiction blur as the '70s most notorious rock band plan their return, outwitting the modern music industry and settling old scores in the only way they know how. But is Wallet's story a hoax or strange reality? As he uncovers more of the band's past new questions begin to emerge. Was lead guitarist Susan Bekker hospitalised in 1974 with Rabies? Was the band's first manager Micky Redwall killed by his own dogs in 1977? What happened to an original 'fifth member' of the band Peter Miles? And after all this time why haven't Susan Bekker, singer Dee Vincent, bassist Elaine Daley and drummer Rene van Voors grown old? Find out in the only official account of Toten Herzen's long awaited reappearance.

The Sword of Truth series follows Richard Cypher, a young woodsman intent on tracking down his father's murderer. His quest will take him far from home, embroiling him in an ancient war, three-millennia past, that is about to re-ignite with world-shattering violence. Richard has traveled far from his roots as a simple woods guide. Emperor of the D'Haran Empire, war wizard, the Seeker of Truth - but none of these roles mean as much to him as his newest: husband to his beloved Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor of the Midlands. But their wedding day is the key that unlocks a spell sealed away long ago in a faraway country. Now a deadly power pours forth that threatens to turn the world into a lifeless waste. Separated from the Sword of Truth and stripped of their magic, Richard and Kahlan must journey across the Midlands to discover a dark secret from the past and a trap that could tear them apart forever. For their fate has become inextricably entwined with that...

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.

 But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive. In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

[Siren Everlasting Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, HEA] Sean Morita and Emery Nadel are enjoying settling in together as mates, but there is deadly trouble brewing on the horizon as plans for the Samhain superpod get underway. Sean’s parents have no idea that Emery and his family are dolphin shifters, and everyone wants to keep it that way. But what do you get when you mix a hurricane, a houseful of dolphin shifters, a pair of oblivious human parents, a vengeful ex-lover, and an alligator shifter with a warped sense of humor? Sean and Emery are about to find out. Erik isn’t finished with Emery yet, and innocent shifters will pay the price when vengeance returns with Porpoiseful Intent.

There is a place that shouldn’t exist. But does. And there are creatures that shouldn’t exist. But do. Welcome to a land where all of your dreams and nightmares are very real—and often deadly. Welcome to Everworld. There are some things that you know you’ll never do. And though you may dream of riding a winged horse, or speaking to a dragon, you pretty much know it isn’t going to happen. Unless, of course, you find yourself in Everworld. David, Christopher, April, Jalil, and Senna are in Everworld. And even though they’ve found Senna, the person they thought would be their ticket home, Everworld holds onto all of them even tighter than before. Now they have to find out why. But not before another encounter with the surreal. David and the others have been called back to Olympus to help the gods battle Ka Anor, and the fastest way to get there is by boat. Unfortunately, Neptune, ruler of Everworld’s seas, doesn’t like trespassers. Now David and his friends are about to discover the lost city of Atlantis…

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

We're the D'Artigo Sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we're savvy--and sexy--operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch whose magic is as unpredictable as the weather. My sister Delilah transforms into a tabby cat at the worst possible times. And me? I'm Menolly, acrobat-extraordinaire-turned-vampire. And if the nerds from hell don't get their act together, I'm going to turn their toga party into a bloodbath. . . Life's getting stranger by the minute. First, Iris and I unearth a diary from one of the bartenders at the Wayfarer who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. And when I discover a ghoul in the woods near our home, we know there has to be a necromancer nearby--another sign that something's wrong. But the blood really hits the fang when we discover a secret society bent on winning Shadow Wing's favor. Now it's up to us to stop the chaos they've unleashed on the city, and to prevent the demon they summoned from devouring Delilah's soul. . .

An Anthology of short stories written by GoodReads Paranormal & Horror Lovers Group. Eight authors contributed to this free ebook as an exercise in collaboration and pushing the limits of the paranormal/horror genre with highly unique works.When Victor Frankenstein crafts his infamous creature in Mary Shelley’s masterpiece, he creates something that is a patchwork not only of men but of ideals, of emotions. Out of many, he is one. Indeed, this anthology you read now is something similar, though I do say quite a bit more pleasant to encounter than the fruit of Victor’s labors!What precisely does the word creature conjure in the imagination? Something frightening? Something unknown? The authors of the stories you are about to read had this question to consider and not one of them came up with exactly the same answer as another of their collaborators. The initial reaction to such a question might be to recoil, to think of something unsettling or scary. But then one must consider the creature itself. How does it react to its state of being? It’s surroundings? Does it enjoy killing men or does it loathe violence? Is it predator or prey? Do humans simply fear it or try to combat the creature themselves?It’s the reaction that makes the creature, not the state itself of being an outsider to mankind. You will read in these pages about various supposed monsters, and they all behave differently. The creatures in these stories are everything from horrifying killers to sympathetic lovers to misunderstood beings trying to fit into human society, each one with its creator’s personal stamp placed upon it. This anthology was born out of a desire to come together as authors, out of a sense of community, and the reader can certainly feel this as well. Despite the occasionally-gruesome or unsettling subject matter, this is a labor of love, we promise!The idea to create a compilation was posed by author B.C. Sirrom on the Paranormal and Horror Lovers group on Goodreads in May of 2012. The idea took off immediately, with eight writers contributing to the work and several others offering to help with editing and cover art. But what was to be the topic of such an anthology?After much deliberation, the topic of creatures was chosen, an emphasis placed on the unique and the cultural. The rules were simple: the story must be in the paranormal or horror genre and between five and ten thousand words. While mature content was allowed, it was not required, and contributors had to be willing to assist with editing. With the ground rules in place, the authors set out to craft their tales.This specific topic is one that not only fit the overall theme of the group itself, but also one that allowed the authors room to breathe, room to create and thus, room to craft a collection of well-fitted stories that will entertain, thrill and horrify.No matter what the word ‘creature’ initially brings to mind for you, the reader, that is only the beginning

There is a dragon on the rampage. Thirty-five Knights have tried to stop it and all have failed. Will Knight Morgan of Fairwinds be able to conquer the dragon and win the chest of gold to help the poor of his shire? With so many depending on the Knight, Knight Morgan has no choice except to stand before the dragonPetty differences and jealousies between shires has led to raging battles with no end. Until the wizard Whitmoor concocts a potion to end all wars for good. Unfortunately he is shot by an arrow as he adds the last ingredient and falls into his cauldron to disappear for ever. But there is no stopping the spell, and a magnificent beast arises, a ferocious dragon that puts an end to the battle. But this beast has an appetite for roast cattle and a penchant for midnight runs over villages. Soon all the people of the shire are afraid to leave their huts to plow their fields and raise their animals. The shire is starving and the King's coffer is getting low. Thirty-five Knights have tried and failed to destroy the dragon, will Knight Morgan of Fairwinds be the thirty-sixth casualty?