The hallways are empty, the school day long over, the din of lockers and youthful laughter have dissolved into silence. It's as if the very walls are waiting. And then through the intercom a song starts to crackle, the soundtrack of a forgotten life. And the band begins to sing - "Lovely Maggie falls for Johnny, a boy no one else can see. Heartthrob Johnny, 50s bad boy, trapped for eternity. Lonely boy and lonely girl, unsolved mystery. Maggie and Johnny, only highschool sweethearts, because Johnny can't ever leave. Do wop, Do wop....." In 1958, a rumble goes down outside the brand new high school in Honeyville, Texas. Chaos ensues, a life is lost, and Johnny Kinross disappears. But in 2010, someone finds him. Orphaned at the age of ten, 17-year-old Maggie O'Bannon finally finds a permanent home with her elderly aunt in a small Texas town. Working part-time as a school janitor, she becomes enmeshed in a fifty-year-old tragedy where nothing is as it seems and the boy of her dreams might vanish when the bell rings. This volatile and mismatched romance is doomed from its start, as Maggie struggles to hold on to yet another person she is destined to lose. Secret love and hushed affection are threatened by outside forces, resulting in a desperate race to keep a secret no one would understand. Deeply romantic, funny and tender, Slow Dance in Purgatory captures the heartache of a love story where a happy ending might be decades too late.

For the past two years, Bailey Morgan has lived a double life: high school student by day, ancient mystical being by night. As the third Fate, Bailey literally controls the fate of the world, but as Plain Old Bailey, her life is falling apart. She’s got a tattoo that was supposed to be temporary (but isn’t), friendships that were supposed to last forever (but might not), and no idea what her future holds after high school graduation. Then Bailey meets the rest of the Sidhe, an ancient race defined by their power, beauty, and a sinister habit of getting what they want at any cost. Before Bailey knows it, she’s being drawn into an otherworldly web more complicated than anything she weaves as a mortal Fate. From the Trade Paperback edition.

It's Christmas time in Bigtime, New York, but society reporter Carmen Cole isn't in the mood to celebrate since her husband, Sam, has to go on a business trip and might not make it home for the holiday. But Carmen has plenty to keep her busy, since she moonlights as Karma Girl, a member of the Fearless Five superhero team. On Christmas Eve, Carmen, as Karma Girl, is assigned to guard toys, clothes, food, and more that are intended for needy children and their families. But an ubervillain also has his eye on the toys and plans to steal and then sell them to the highest bidder. Carmen will have to use all her empathic powers just to stay alive, not to mention make sure Christmas is a happy one for all the kids who are counting on her. It's all in a night's work for a superhero ... Note: This is a 14,000-word story that takes place after the events of Jinx, the third book in the Bigtime series. It can also be read as a stand-alone holiday story.

Look through fresh eyes at the stories of some of history's most remarkable women, in this inspiring collection of short stories by the finest female authors writing historical fiction for children today - The History Girls. Subjects include: Queen Boudicca, Aethelfled, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Julian of Norwich, Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth Stuart, Aphra Behn, Mary Wollestonecraft, Mary Anning, Mary Seacole, Emily Davison, Amy Johnson and the Greenham Common women.

When These Worlds Collide Cecelia Hewitt has lived her whole life in the land of the fae, and she dreams of a future with her childhood sweetheart, Marcus Thorne. When Marcus is called upon to dwell in the human world, it means leaving Cecelia behind and breaking both their hearts. More Than Sparks May Fly Marcus was groomed for leadership in the land of the fae, but now that he has found his human parents, he will inherit his father's title and position in the British ton—and he will marry a human. As love and passion continue to burn between Cecelia and Marcus, the question remains: Can two people fated for different worlds find one to share?

Sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. Kitty and Ben flee The City That Never Sleeps, thinking they were finished with the dangers there, but the sadistic cult of lycanthropes and their vampire priestess have laid a curse on Kitty in revenge for her disrupting their rituals. Starting at the next full moon, danger and destruction the form of fire strikes Kitty and the pack of werewolves she's sworn to protect. She enlists the help of a group of TV paranormal investigators - one of whom has real psychic abilities - to help her get to the bottom of the curse that's been laid on her. Rick, the Master vampire of Denver, believes a deeper plot lies behind the curse, and he and Kitty argue about whether or not to accept the help of a professional demon hunter - and vampire - named Roman, who arrives a little too conveniently in the nick of time. Unable to rely on Rick, and unwilling to accept Roman's offer of help for a price, Kitty and her band of allies, including Vegas magician Odysseus Grant and Kitty's own radio audience, mount a trap for the supernatural being behind the curse, a destructive force summoned by the vengeful cult, a supernatural being that none of them ever thought to face.

The NEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling Darkyn series continues. . . Jayr is proud to be the only female ever permitted to serve as seneschal to a Darkyn lord. But in her centuries of service to Master Byrne, she has fallen in love with him. Now, Byrne plans to step down and hand over the Jardin to another Kyn lord-a move that threatens not only Jayr's position, but her very life. . .

Upon its hardcover publication, renowned author Philip Pullman’s The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ provoked heated debates and stirred a frenzy of controversy throughout the clerical and literary worlds alike with its bold retelling of the life of Jesus Christ.In this remarkable piece of fiction, famously atheistic author Philip Pullman challenges the events of the Gospels and puts forward his own compelling and plausible version of the life of Jesus. Written with unstinting authority, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a pithy, erudite, subtle, and powerful book by a beloved author, a text to be read and reread, studied and unpacked, much like the Good Book itself.

The daughter of a murdered king must flee to Alaska to survive. Doing all she can to keep her younger sisters safe, Aazuria tries to assimilate and work among the Americans. She tries to hold her head up high even in the lowest of places, until she meets a somber man in a dark corner with eyes that remind her of home...Gold medal winner in the Readers' Favorite Awards for Paranormal Romance! Previously published as Drowning Mermaids. The daughter of a murdered king must flee to Alaska to survive. Doing all she can to keep her younger sisters safe, Aazuria tries to assimilate and work among the Americans. She tries to hold her head up high even in the lowest of places, until she meets a somber man in a dark corner with eyes that remind her of home. Trevain Murphy is a successful crab fisherman who has spent his life building an empire on the sea. When a graceful dancer captures his attention, he becomes fascinated with her old-fashioned speech and unique mannerisms. Learning that her father has recently died, he cannot resist extending his kindness in offering to guide and protect her. As it becomes clear that the dark-haired woman is much more than she seems, Trevain is unprepared to uncover the staggering secrets behind her innocent facade. Neither the captain nor the princess can imagine that their lives will become forcibly entwined as a common enemy threatens both of their worlds... This is the first book of the Sacred Breath Series.

Flint, green-skin carver from Outerworld, saves tribe from Old Snout dinosaur. The Empire forces his high Kirlian aura into alien bodies - wheeled Polarian, slave to insectoid Canopian, tri-sex Spica water world, on dragon to court emulating Elizabeth I. From Andromeda, conquerors bent on destroying the galaxy, follows equally brilliant enemy assassin - female.

A Conyn the Barbarian story.Conyn has to deal with an impostor witch impersonating her king – that is, if she survives being crucified on the tree of pain and can raise an army.A Gender Switch Adventure.Grace Riley is on the run—from her past and from her fears. The victim of a violent rape at the hands of a rich politician’s son, she must “disappear” to escape his constant attempts to recapture her. Moving from cattle drive to cattle drive as a cook, she avoids her tormentor for nearly twenty years. When she discovers that the brother she gave up for adoption after their mother died in childbirth was orphaned at an early age, she is frantic to verify that he’s safe. She tracks him to a cattle ranch in Montana.Widower Adam Morgan owns the Twin Springs ranch, but finds himself falling into a life of loneliness. Although he enjoys spending time with his grown daughter and the two men he rescued when they were living on the streets, he longs to meet a woman he can love. Living in the Montana territory where men greatly outnumber women makes finding a new wife difficult. Weary of working cattle, he is ready to make some changes in his life.Grace falls ill on her journey, but she manages to make it to the Twin Springs ranch where her brother is supposed to be living. Adam takes her in, concerned for her health and the reason she’s searching for one of his adopted sons. Their chemistry is immediate and intense, but can Grace heal from her past of pain and fear? When her secrets are finally revealed, can Adam forgive her deceptions and learn to love again?**Contains love scenes and adult language

"The Threat" is a new Animorph named David. At first he's a valuable warrior. But as crucial battle plans unfold, the Animorphs realize they've made a terrible mistake.

The first day of winter approaches, and with it the dwarven celebration of Nypha. Included in the celebration is a Stalker's Game: a search and destroy for the highest bidders. Six dwarves pit themselves against eight well-armed and hostile human slaves, out on the brutal mountain slopes, where the fate of all will be decided. The rule for the slaves is simple: survive. Who will live and die?The first day of winter approaches, and with it the dwarven celebration of Nypha. Included in the celebration is a Stalker's Game: a search and destroy for the highest bidders. Six dwarves pit themselves against eight well-armed and hostile human slaves, out on the brutal mountain slopes, where the fate of all will be decided. The rule for the slaves is simple: survive. Who will live and who will die in this most treacherous game of all?A short story set in The Cry of Havoc.

Just another Hallowe'en in the Young Wizards universe... In this 14,000-word novelette, written for UNICEF's 60th annual "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" campaign, we tag along with Nita Callahan, Kit Rodriguez, Ronan Nolan, and Dairine Callahan as they do a little overage Trick or Treating in their own neighborhood, and find themselves going up against an old adversary with a peculiar new ally...

Nimbus and Celestial are the first divine on the Ethereal Realm since time unremembered. When all the Gods and Archangels abruptly disappear, the inexperienced fledgling angels are the only ones left to thwart a sinister plan to tip the cosmic balance to chaos.Nimbus and Celestial are the first divine on the Ethereal Realm since time unremembered. Still, even fledgling angels must prove themselves to earn a place in Seraph training with the revered Archangels. And so far, Nimbus is an unmitigated disaster: his arrows go awry, he's addicted to human food and the Nymphs run if there's the vaguest hint he'll attempt a spell. When all the Gods and Archangels on the Ethereal Realm abruptly disappear, it's up to Celestial, their irresponsible Ambrosia-swilling tutor Bacchus, and Nimbus to put things right. With his confidence lower than an orc's backside and his skills even worse, how can one little fledgling angel hope to prevail against the vicious Fallen and their evil master Azazel? If Nimbus fails this time, the consequences for the Three Realms are far more dire than his punishment for torching Zeus' eyebrows.)