Theirs is a tale of forbidden love. A man who has trained his whole life to see the world only as it is falls in love with a woman who sees the world as it can be.Seven authors, seven visions, seven short stories make up Murder, Mayhem, Monsters, and Mistletletoe. Rae Ford, Rodney Hall, C.R. Garmen, Michelle Rabe, Lindy Spencer, Jamie Sheffield, and Brenda Tetreault share their stories in this winter-themed anthology.Cold Burn - From The Luminosi Brotherhood Series - by Rae Ford. A surprise from Chicago Detective Tyson Roberts' distant past distracts him from his preparation for the team's expedition to Antarctica. The question is, is this distraction a blessing or a curse?"Mr. John – by Rodney Hall. DetectiveJohn Peterson stared through the blinding snow. He had to ask himself if what he saw was real, or if he was losing his mind.A Perfect Christmas – by C.R. Garmen. A short and sweet reminder of the virtue of giving during the holidays.Another First for Christmas – by Michelle Rabe. New vampire Eric Kincade faces his first holiday season with fangs.Above the Bridge – by Lindy Spencer. There's a huge difference between life above the bridge and below it...except for Karma. From her, there's no escape.Now is the Winter – by Jamie Sheffield. Richie Gloucester is a spoiled man-child on a trip away from the cold of a Manhattan winter to the tropics, with murder in his heart. His plans, and life, take a bizarre turn when he meets an unlikely heroine who helps him take control of his life ... literally.Merry Christmas, Baby – by Brenda Tetreault. Christmas is a time of love and magic. But sometimes love needs a helping hand.

A fix-up consisting of the novelette "Universe" (1941) and the novella "Common Sense" (1941). First published in 1963. Hugh had been taught that, according to the ancient sacred writings, the Ship was on a voyage to faraway Centaurus. But he also understood this was actually allegory for a voyage to spiritual perfection. Indeed, how could the Ship move, since its miles and miles of metal corridors were all there was of creation? Science knew that the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Convertor was fed, the lights would continue to glow and the air would flow, and the Creator's Plan would be fulfilled. Of course, there were the muties, grotesquely deformed parodies of humans, who lurked in the upper reaches of the Ship where gravity was weaker. Were they evil incarnate, or merely a divine check on the population, keeping humanity from expanding past the capacity of the Ship to support? Then Hugh was captured by the muties and met their leader (or leaders), Joe-Jim, with two heads on one body. And he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was to late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the ship?

For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received. But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin--barely of age herself--finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours. Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering, and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people’s lives and she’s finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare’s not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent. Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang. Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties…

Cara Truman is a pint-size pistol whose inquisitive nature has gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion. Her next adventure takes her further than she even expected when she ends up on a journey out of this world. Trelon Reykill thought he had his hands full. A militant group of Curizans had captured his brother Zoran, he was busy trying to fortify the Valdire defenses against the Sarafin Warriors, and his dragon was roaring for him to find a mate. He was furious about the first, excited about the second, and pissed about the last. The last thing he expects to find on the primitive planet his brother has taken refuge on is his true mate. Now, he has a whole new set of problems…capturing Cara long enough to make her his. His symbiosis loves her, his dragon wants her, and he can’t catch her. On top of all that, someone is trying to kill her. His solution: Capture Cara and love her so well she will never want to escape him -if he can.

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert. But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

The Long-Awaited Prequel! A thousand years before Lord Valentine, the Majipoor Cycle explores another grand epic in a world conceived on a truly epic scale. On the planet Majipoor, it is a time of great change. The aged Pontifex Prankipin, who brought sorcery (and prosperity) to the Fifty Cities of Castle Mount, is dying. The Coronal Lord Confalume, who will become Pontifex, begins the Funeral Games before his own replacement is chosen. It is no secret that the next Coronal will be Prince Prestimion. By law and custom, the blood son of the present Coronal, Korsibar, an avid hunter'cannot rule. But Korsibar has a secret quarry'the Starburst Crown. Visited by an oracle, Korsibar has heard a prophecy that will plunge the planet into a fearsome conflagration and alter destiny itself: "You will shake the world!" Outstanding Praise for The Majipoor Cycle "Plotted like a Shakespearian play.... With a brand new cast of characters and engaging conflicts of heart and soul, Silverberg'one of the world's finest stylists and storytellers'breathes fresh life (and quality) into sci-fi's sister genre." -- "San Antonio Express News" "Boasting Machiavellian plot twists, underhanded and power-hungry backstabbers, and plenty of literary allusions, Sorcerers of Majipoor serves as a fine historical foundation for a wondrous world. Readers, both old and new, will want to accompany him in exploring this treasure trove of imagination." --Des Moines (IA) Sunday Register "Silverberg has created a big planet, chock-a-block with life and potential stories." -- "The Washington Post" "There are two things that abide: absolute awe at Silverberg's capacity for creating images ... he makes yousee, believe, be there witnessing ... and [the] overarching compassion that colors every word and all the souls in his enormous planet." -- "Los Angeles Times" "I was happy to visit Majipoor again, and to know there's room on that great and grand world for even more events to be chronicled." -- "Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine" "A grand picaresque tale by one of the great storytellers of the century." --Roger Zelazny

Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac are heading off to Transylvania on Araminta's birthday—without Araminta. To make matters worse, Araminta will have a babysitter. When that sitter turns out to be Araminta's supercool cousin, Mathilda, things start to look up—except Mathilda shows up with two rowdy ghosts who destroy the house and ignore all the rules. Can Araminta come up with a Plan to get rid of these two bad ghosts once and for all?

The final entry in award-winning, New York Timesbestselling author Colleen Gleason's International Bestselling Gardella Vampire Hunter Series. "Vampires have met their match with Victoria Gardella,"* but now the huntress faces an even greater evil as London is besieged by malevolent entities no mortal was ever meant to encounter... Directly descended from the very first vampire hunter in the Gardella family, Victoria knows she must continue the lineage so humanity will have protectors against the undead. While Sebastian Vioget appears to be both the perfect warrior and lover to ensure the Gardella Legacy, Victoria cannot forget Max Pesaro--the former slayer still haunted by the vampire queen Lilith's obsession with him. But it is Lilith's obsession that may, in fact, save all of humanity. Demons, enemies of both mortals and the undead, have found their way to earth. To defeat them, vampires and slayers must fight side by side. But Lilith wants Max in return for her cooperation--a small price for the world, but too high a price for Victoria. "Addictively readable." --The Chicago Tribune *Kady Cross, bestselling author of The Girl in the Steel Corset --This text refers to the Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Paen Scott is a Dark One: a vampire without a soul. And his mother is about to lose hers too if Paen can’t repay a debt to a demon by finding a relic known as the Jilin God in five days. Half-elf Samantha Cosse may have gotten kicked out of the Order of Diviners, but she’s still good at finding things, which is why she just opened her own private investigation agency. Paen is one of Sam’s first clients and the only one to set her elf senses tingling, which makes it pretty much impossible to keep their relationship on a professional level. Sam is convinced that she is Paen’s Beloved—the woman who can give him back his soul. . . whether he wants it or not.

A modern pirates tale-- complete with monkey sidekicks-- where the life at sea once again calls to the misfits of society.Once again those of us who don't conform to society take to the high seas. They're still robbing from the rich, with monkey sidekicks, swords and swashbuckling adventures.A humorous social commentary with a bit action.

Living among mortals, the djinn Cassiel has developed a reluctant affection for them—especially for Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate both the human and djinn realms. But the trail will lead them to a traitor who may be more powerful than they can handle...

Kenna is graduating high school and following her dreams. When she gets to New Orleans she is ready to pursue them. Can one night change her mind or will she forget the man with the sapphire blue eyes and make her own dreams come true?While on a school exchange visit to Paris, a young teenager becomes an unexpected witness to a drugs raid. English exchange student Lily holds the key to a serious crime incident at the local Bar Tabac. Making her escape, she heads for the banks of the Seine. But now she’s not sure why and from whom she is running and what she discovers is not quite what she expects . . .Fast moving adventure set in Paris for the 11+ age group.

Kiethara is a descendant from a long line of powerful guardians who have been charged to protect a magical forest since the dawn of time. She prematurely took the place of the previous guardian after she was defeated by a man known as Gandador; now, young Kiethara is forced into a position of power and danger. Wickedly dark yet extremely moving, this novel explores the demands of a legendary duty.Kiethara is a descendant from a long line of powerful guardians who have been charged to protect a magical forest since the dawn of time. She prematurely took the place of her mother—the previous guardian—after she was defeated by a man known as Gandador; now, young Kiethara is forced into a position of power and danger. The Spirit of Aaron, the forest's first guardian, awakens to train her legendary powers, all the while hiding unknown truths and secrets of her past. When Gandador returns to destroy the reign of the guardians and rule the forest himself, he brings into the forest a whole new world, and Kiethara must keep in check her overwhelming emotions and experiences in order to control her magic and save the forest.Wickedly dark yet extremely moving, The Guardians of the Forest explores the burdens of responsibility and the prospects of failure. Kiethara must protect the world's source of power while developing her own, but guarding it becomes difficult when she finds herself kidnapped and taken out of the forest she is bound to protect. This YA novel draws true-to-form parallels with a normal fifteen-year-olds life. Readers experience how Kiethara bears the weight of an entire world on her shoulders in a humorously sarcastic tone, relying on the friends she makes and the love she discovers to ease the fear of failure to deliver what she has been born to accomplish.

In the heart of England's Cumbrian Mountains, a young woman searching for answers, finds much more than she ever bargained for.For Lina Oveisi, Chicago is merely a holding ground for all her broken dreams. Her father's dead, and been so seven years, but that hard fact is no less biting as time rolls on. It's the mystery of his death which has never settled with Lina, and at eighteen she's still plagued by it. Desperate for a break, she decides to leave home, even as her mother frets over her well-being, her boyfriend recovers from their break-up, and her step-dad attempts to put his totalitarian foot down. Au pair to an elegant Egyptian couple? Who wouldn't love that dream job? To Lina, it will be the journey of a lifetime. She has no idea what's in store, but figures that, anything has got to be better than summer puke parties, and forced smiles. The universe has a funny way of unfolding truth. It is unexpected. It is life-altering. It is also scary as hell. For one young woman, the universe speaks, and it speak directly to her, through the vessels of those she never imagined existed. They alone hold the key to unlocking the secrets she seeks: the missing pieces to her father's disappearance, the truth of her lineage and its purpose, as well as discovering a whole other world--a secret society that she will soon be responsible for. How will she let go of her old life, in order to embrace a new one? Will she submit to a prophecy, which was carved out thousands of years before her birth? Can she find balance between herself, forbidden love, and those she's sworn to protect?