When outlaws Amaranthe and Sicarius chance upon spies stealing military prototypes, they immediately give chase. Well, immediately after Amaranthe talks Sicarius, former assassin and all-around non-altruistic type, into the mission. She wants an imperial pardon, and what better way to attract the emperor’s favor than by looking after the empire’s interests? What seems like a straightforward mission develops a hitch when the spies flee to Darkcrest Isle, a forbidding chunk of land reputed to be haunted. Amaranthe isn’t quick to believe in tales of malevolent spirits, so she’s startled when the ever-pragmatic and unflappable Sicarius shows reluctance at setting foot on the island. Only when it may be too late to escape does Amaranthe come to understand why. The Assassin’s Curse is a 12,000-word short story.

THE RED KNIGHT was one of the most acclaimed fantasy debuts of 2012 - and now he rides again. Prepare for one epic battle... In The Fell Sword the Red Knight and his company go across the mountains to the Morea and Thrake - those are the kingdoms to the east of Alba - to put down what appears to be a local rebellion and proves to be larger. In the process, the readers will get to see a little more of the meta-plot. The Red Knight will meet a beautiful princess. Jean de Vrailly will grow in power and worldly glory. Amicia will develop her own power while getting into a quarrel with the church that will have long term effects for everyone. Readers will meet the Faery Knight and the irks are developed as people and not ‘enemies’. The sides shift, and the stakes grow.

Most people in Willow Hill think Darya is the prickliest of the Blok sisters. What they don’t realize is that on the inside, Darya is soft and gooey from feeling everything, all the time. When Darya turns thirteen, the goo gets stickier—and as Darya’s Wishing Day approaches, all she wants is to forget the silly tradition ever existed. Except...she can’t. Ten years ago, a wish made by Darya’s mother splintered their family into pieces. Last year, Darya’s sister Natasha wished for their broken mother to return. This year, Darya has a chance to wish away parts of the past, and who wouldn’t want to do that? Darya, that’s who! The past is something you’re supposed to leave behind. Which is why Darya has locked and sealed her most painful memories inside the far corners of her mind, where they can no longer hurt her. But when some of them begin to leak out, Darya realizes the decision about what to wish for—and what not to wish for—is probably the most important choice of her life. Laughter and tear-inducing to the last page, The Forgetting Spell is beloved and bestselling author Lauren Myracle’s second book in the unforgettable Wishing Day series.

Beaumaris of York has many secrets. No human can know that he’s an immortal Darkyn assigned to Knight’s Realm, the Kyn stronghold disguised as a medieval theme park. And none of his brethren can discover that he’s a half-breed, rescued from slavery as a child. Lately Beau has been yearning for action—and he’s about to find it with his new mission. Brilliant archaeologist Dr. Alys Stuart is infamous for her extraordinary theories—especially those concerning the mysterious Knights Templar—and she is unaware that her research is funded by the Kyn coffers. When the Kyn sends a vexingly good-looking man to assist—and protect—her, she doesn’t expect the surge of attraction she feels for him. When a powerful Templar artifact surfaces, Alys and Beau must trust each other enough to stop mankind’s greed for immortality from sparking a war between mortals and Kyn that will destroy the world.

The story is told through the eyes of Minervar a student healer. A chance meeting with a battle-weary mercenary called Serinae, throws them both into an epic adventure. They must discover their ancient history to save their precarious future. But Serinae's mysterious past is trying to stop them. Much is lost and gained before they finally win through - with more than a few twists along the way.The young elf Minervar has quite naively jumped at the opportunity of adventure. But what self-respecting, talented young novice wouldn’t? Especially if they had a muscle bound guardian and teacher called Jondris along for the ride. Whilst on her day off, enjoying a quiet ale in a tavern, Minervar has a chance meeting with a kinswoman, the stunningly beautiful, but mysterious God-fearing ranger from the wilds, an elf called Serinae and her business partner Teouso. This human stranger from the east badly in need of a dentist who is a man but has an uncanny knack fighting as a large canine. Well, events quickly start to take an interesting turn. They are joined by a wise-cracking, ale-swilling professional soldier, a vacationing dwarf called Łĩnwéé who has big attitude and a liking for freshly poached eggs and dragon scales. They find themselves rescuing Tnie from a lynch mob. They don’t know it at first but Tnie is a fugitive, on the run from the authorities after intentionally destroying part of his home city (the uninhabited part luckily!) to save it from an invading army, an ancient force that has already caused much destruction back inages past.The companions discover at a high-society dinner party, hosted by the last remaining member of an ancient elven guild of academics, that their world is under threat. Natural cataclysmic events are on the increase (some would call these ‘Twists of Eternity’). Not only that, but they also find out that some of their group are unintentional refugees and not from the world they live in at all. With more questions than answers, they set out to learn what they can from the elder races, for each has knowledge and skills necessary to rescue the planet from certain doom. The only problem is, they are missing a member. They need a representative from the murderous war-loving race of the ognods, a race of giants from the north that all the other races hate and fear, with good reason. If that’s not sufficient to put a damper on the proceedings, it becomes apparent that other unrelated dark forces are trying to hinder them, even stop them altogether. Dark forces that are uncomfortably linked to the history of the elven race and more personally to Serinae’s own mysterious past.Wrongs are righted, lessons are learnt, battles are fought. Strange lands are travelled both within the world and without. Strange creatures discovered and avoided, especially the ones that dig tunnels using their naturally generated atomic energy (good for instantly heating water for tea though!). The company perseveres. They must discover their own secret past to save their precarious future. Finally with the help of a gargantuan technological marvel that runs on ‘chips’, designed and installed by a mysterious and extinct race of beings with a history more ancient than the planet itself, they succeed. The companions, although changed by their epic discoveries and experiences forever, put the world to rights. As for Minervar, well, she may just learn many things about herself along the way.

All people, all children, have adventures in fantastic, magical worlds of talking animals, living legends, and myth. But all children, eventually, grow up and forget. Anthony remembered. This tale follows “Alabaster Emissaries” and marks Anthony’s return to NeverEarth where an old foe awaits and a dark curse bubbles just beneath the pristine surface.This story continues the adventures of Anthony Delleroe in the strange, otherworldly land of NeverEarth. All people, all children, have adventures in fantastic, magical worlds of talking animals, living legends, and myth. But all children, eventually, grow up and forget. Anthony remembered. This tale follows “Alabaster Emissaries” and marks Anthony’s return to NeverEarth where an old foe awaits and a dark curse bubbles just beneath the pristine surface. The world-setting (containing NeverEarth, Kellen, Talismere, the Alabaster Palace, and other landmarks within this story’s context), and the specific contextual characters of Anthony Delleroe, Karl, Queen Allasande, Duchess Malgrave, Wiste, and others, are owned by myself.The story began in "Christmas in NeverEarth" and continued with free, downloadable publications (in eBook and PDF formats) on Smashwords. I'll be uploading this to Smashwords in the next few weeks, again, for free. Until then, you can read it, here.Cover art is by Louis Frank.

A loner with a troubled past, Brand has kept himself isolated from the brutal werewolf society he was born into. When he finds a female of his kind beaten and discarded, he endangers himself to help her.Short story of 2400 words.Also contains a sample chapter of Broods of Fenrir ~3300 words.Jeremiah Stalwart is from a small town. Though he is much smarter than his peers, he lives a pretty standard life. That is until some bullies chase him after school. He finds himself on a completely unfamiliar planet. Now it is his job to unlock the secret of how he got there and help scientists on his home planet to make the same journey. Join him as he takes the first step towards instantaneous space travel. About 11100 words.

Aiden, skilled in the magical D'Tari arts yet always the reluctant hero, sets off on a mission to bring down a beautiful but powerful traitor. What Aiden discovers, with the help of the Raven Lord D'Natis, is more than he bargained for. This present-day short story fantasy is a prequel to JA Laflin's 'demiGod' books and includes two bonus chapters from the first full-length novel.Aiden, skilled in the magical D'Tari arts yet always the reluctant hero, sets off on a mission to bring down a beautiful but powerful traitor. What Aiden discovers, with the help of the Raven Lord D'Natis, is more than he bargained for. From the streets of Philadelphia, to an encounter high in the sky, this is a riveting fantasy tale set in the present day.This present-day short story fantasy is a prequel to JA Laflin's 'demiGod' books and includes two bonus chapters from the first full-length novel.

When two children at a Halloween party, decide to go looking for their friend in the woods, they find something they weren't expecting.Logan Reed was18 years old, 5’11’’ tall with jet black hair cut tight around his head, long on top and brown eyes with a handsome face. He was one of those sporty lads that had to be a winner at any cost; he hated losing and would go to any lengths to be the best. Given his attitude he wasn’t the most liked kid in school, not that it bothered him much.When he wasn’t chasing the gold medal, Logan was a nice polite lad who used manners more than most lads of his age. Right now though he wasn’t trying to win any sporting event, he was trying to win over the affections and attentions of one Joss Kisswater. She just happened to be the prettiest girl in the school as well as the best at sports. She’d recently come over from California and with her stunning good looks, blonde hair, golden suntan and American accent meant that Joss was on lots of boy’s minds. He believed though they were a match made in heaven and destined to be together; all he had to do was convince her of it. The problem was three other lads were also trying to get her and they were better than him at one thing, the one thing Joss loved and he was crap at - Surfing. Logan had done some surfing before the school put him with a group that was already a few days in to their lessons, he could get to his knees no problem, it was standing that he found very difficult. Logan was now more determined to learn how to surf than ever, he was going to win the competition that was being held the day before the party on the beach and he had only one more day left. It wasn’t enough time. His solution was to practise alone at night and there was to be a full moon tonight so he’d have plenty of light.Pulling the zip up on his wetsuit Logan slipped in to the water, the light from the moon reflected on the waves giving the water an eerie silvery glow. Two things would now put Logan’s life at risk, the first was his single mindedness and the second was his complete lack of knowledge about the currents and tides. Logan made up his mind that his only chance of surviving was to head for the rocks and climb his way out and back to safety.Clay Norton was a top Australian surfer and he finds Logan and helps him to surf, the problem is that Clay doesn’t turn out to be the man Logan thinks he is.

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the final novella featuring Pia and Dragos… Pia’s latest pregnancy has become a daily challenge, her relationship with Dragos strained with argument. That hasn’t stopped them from achieving a compromise and traveling to Las Vegas to celebrate their friend Rune’s wedding to his mate Carling. From the moment they arrive, the trip goes awry. Death walks in Vegas, and Pia is kidnapped as an ancient enemy makes a move to destroy the Great Beast once and for all. But the Great Beast has other plans. On Planet Dragos everything goes the way he arranges it—unless someone decides to cross him, and God help them then, because he doesn’t know how to back down, and he doesn’t ever, ever let up….

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, B Smith has decided to live-- and to fight for good as long as possible. However, London is overridden with brain-eating undead and swarming with human mercenaries whose sense of right and wrong dissolved when society did. When they lay a trap, B is captured. And it'll take dozens of battles--and the fight of a lifetime-- to escape. Filled with gripping, bloody action sequences, the sixth book in Darren Shan's horrifying Zom-B series promises the fright-- and the fight-- of your life.

A brand new novella in the New York Times bestselling series featuring vampires in the Windy City. Merit, Sentinel of Chicago's Cadogan House, is pregnant. She's ready to meet her daughter, but also very excited about the possibility of seeing her feet again. But trouble always seems to find her... Ethan and Merit have been married for eight months, and they're preparing for life-with-baby. Ethan's battling his overprotectiveness, while Merit's hoping she can figure out how to be a loving parent given her family's chilliness. While out on an evening walk, Merit stops to help a human in need, only to find herself under attack. A sociopath with a debt figures pregnant Merit is an easy target--and Cadogan House would pay handsomely for her return...

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches. The three Beauchamp women—Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid—live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret—they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache, For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them. With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil. Melissa de la Cruz, author of the bestselling Blue Bloods series, talks about Witches of East End, her first novel in an exciting new series geared to adults.

Alice Hoffman’s most magical novel to date—three generations of extraordinary women are driven to unite in crisis and discover the rewards of reconciliation and love. Women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehood. Her daughter, Jenny, can see people’s dreams when they sleep. Granddaughter Stella has a mental window on the future—a future that she might not want to see. In The Probable Future this vivid and intriguing cast of characters confronts a haunting past—and a very current murder—against the evocative backdrop of small-town New England. By turns chilling and enchanting, The Probable Future chronicles the Sparrows’s legacy as young Stella struggles to cope with her disturbing clairvoyance. Her potential to ruin or redeem becomes unbearable when one of her premonitions puts her father in jail, wrongly accused of homicide. Yet this ordeal also leads Stella to the grandmother she was forbidden to meet and to a historic family home full of talismans from her ancestors. Poignant, arresting, unsettling, The Probable Future showcases the lavish literary gifts that have made Alice Hoffman one of America’s most treasured writers.

Almost a hundred years pass. The Earth is ready for habitation. But it is a far different Earth from the one last seen so long ago. New plants and forms of wildlife from different worlds populate the planet, as chosen by the Womb.The survivors, as expected, have not aged a day since the bombs dropped. New alliances have been made; relationships that should have led to the birth of children flourish unhappily without babies. The original wildlife is still with them, along with their generations of offspring. Every human now realizes their role is to support the animals.And what of poor six-year-old Suzy as she is mourned and forgotten by her grandfather and sister?Scotty is hailed as The One to restore domination by the humans, even as they all fail to understand how. Struggles ensue as the survivors discover the perils of the new and amazing life delivered to the planet by the Womb. They fight to eke out a role in the new ecosystem that has put them at the bottom of the food...