Nothing in Lakshmi's childhood, running carefree and barefoot on the sun-baked earth amid the coconut and mango trees of Ceylon, could have prepared her for what life was to bring her. At fourteen, she finds herself traded in marriage to a stranger across the ocean in the fascinating land of Malaysia. Duped into thinking her new husband is wealthy, she instead finds herself struggling to raise a family with a man too impractical to face reality and a world that is, by turns, unyielding and amazing, brutal and beautiful. Giving birth to a child every year until she is nineteen, Lakshmi becomes a formidable matriarch, determined to wrest from the world a better life for her daughters and sons and to face every new challenge with almost mythic strength. By sheer willpower Lakshmi survives the nightmare of World War II and the Japanese occupation -- but not unscathed. The family bears deep scars on its back and in turn inflicts those wounds on the next generation. But it is not until Lakshmi's great-granddaughter, Nisha, pieces together the mosaic of her family history that the legacy of the Rice Mother bears fruit.

The newest book based on the hit Weird West RPG franchise Deadlands! Step right up to see the oddities and marvels of The Blackstone Family Circus and Travelling Wonder Show! Gasp at pit wasps the size of a man’s forearm. Beware the pumpkin-headed corn stalker, lest it plant its roots in you! Annie Pearl is the keeper of oddities, the mistress of monsters. Her unique collection of creatures is one of the circus’s star attractions, drawing wide-eyed crowds at every small frontier town they visit. But Annie is also a woman running from her past . . . and the mother of a mute young daughter, Adeline, whom she will do anything to protect. Hoping to fill its coffers before winter sets in, the circus steers its wagons to The Clearing, a remote community deep in the Oregon wilderness, surrounded by an ominous dark wood. Word is that a traveling show can turn a tidy profit at The Clearing, but there are whispers, too, of unexplained disappearances that afflict one out of every four shows that pass through the town. The Clearing has it secrets, and so does Annie. And it may take everything she has to save her daughter―and the circus―from both. A gripping tale of the Weird West, set on the haunted frontier of DEADLANDS, the award-winning game from Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

A reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from a master storyteller. Gorse is the thirteenth and youngest in a family of fairies tied to the evil king's land and made to do his bidding. Because of an oath made to the king's great-great-ever-so-many-times-great-grandfather, if they try to leave or disobey the royals, they will burst into a thousand stars. When accident-prone Gorse falls ill just as the family is bid to bless the new princess, a fairytale starts to unfold. Sick as she is, Gorse races to the castle with the last piece of magic the family has left--a piece of the Thread of Life. But that is when accident, mayhem, and magic combine to drive Gorse's story into the unthinkable, threatening the baby, the kingdom, and all. With her trademark depth, grace, and humor, Jane Yolen tells readers the "true" story of the fairy who cursed Sleeping Beauty.

No one takes Spencer Zumbro seriously when he tried to warn his classmates about the mysterious things prowling the halls and classrooms of Welcher Elementary School. But when he sees Marv, the janitor, going after one of the creatures with a vacuum, he knows he's not the only one who can see them. With the help of his new friends, Daisy, Spencer has to find out what the janitors know. The children's search uncovers the magic taking place behind the scenes of their seemingly ordinary school, where a battle is being waged for the minds of the students. Who can be trusted—and can Spencer and Daisy protect their school and possibly the world? 

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.Her newly found mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge, and Jessica is positive she can save him.But being the only female werewolf in town comes with its own set of rules and powers... if only she understood them.Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home. The Citadel of the Autarch brings The Book of the New Sun to its harrowing conclusion, as Severian clashes in a final reckoning with the dread Autarch, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will forever alter the realm known as Urth. "Brilliant . . . terrific . . . a fantasy so epic it beggars the mind. An extraordinary work of art!"-Philadelphia Inquirer

Glory St. Clair loves soaking up Hollywood's vampire nightlife with her sexy Scottish lover, Jeremiah. Especially when she meets a vampire/ diet guru who promises to give her the body she's wanted for centuries. One problem: his clan and Jeremiah's are ancient enemies. But Glory's not about to let a stupid family feud come between her and slender bliss. Yet, she can't help but wonder. . . how much is she willing to risk for her hips? And how much (and precisely what) is she willing to lose?

While visiting the Bahamas, a vacationing couple goes off the beaten path to explore a blue hole and find the experience anything but serene.What lies deep below the surface of a blue hole? While few have uncovered the answer firsthand many have experienced the unsettling feeling of something lurking in its depths, just beyond view. This short story follows a vacationing couple as they explore the surface of this natural oddity.

The group around dan's brother had been held together by a mutual taste for liquor and endless arguments. Now, high in the mountains on a quest to see who could bag the biggest deer, old jealousies and hatreds were being dusted off and revived. Everyone knew an explosion was coming. No one knew who would survive. And none of them were willing to turn back. Reissue.

A young muse searches to discover who is draining energy from her new found home, the whimsical land of Helicon, and begins to suspect her childhood sweetheart.If Hogwarts was more like Woodstock, and Voldemort was your childhood sweetheart turned abusive boyfriend... As long as Nora Sparrow can remember, Owen has protected her. He’s been there through years of miserable foster homes and snobby mean girls, always whispering to her that she doesn’t belong here. Telling her that this is the mundane world, and someday, he’ll get them back to Helicon, the world of the muses. The world where they belong.But Nora’s fifteen years old, and she isn’t sure she quite believes it anymore. When he begs her to try another ritual to open the dimensions, she agrees mostly to humor him. Owen’s rituals never work.But this one does, and Nora is flung into the whimsical, bohemian land of Helicon, where she’s expected to do nothing more than create and inspire. With the help of her new muse friends, Nora sets out to discover who is creating holes in the fabric of Helicon and draining away the muses’ energy.Everything would be perfect, if only Owen’s protectiveness wasn’t starting to seem so...obsessive.

Fifteen-year-old Elena hides her magical abilities from everyone, except her best friend, Karl. Inseparable since very young, they've always shared everything, including the darkest parts of their lives. Elena's beginning to realise her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever.A short story prequel to The Witching Pen Novellas. (This story takes place ten years before the events of The Witching Pen Novellas.) Fifteen-year-old Elena hides her magical abilities from everyone, except her best friend, Karl. Inseparable since they were very young, they've always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives. Elena's beginning to realise that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell on her – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever. PUBLISHER'S NOTES: This UK-based story is suitable for YA readers, but it should be noted that The Witching Pen Novellas series is aimed at adult readers. For fans of the series, this story includes two parts of Elena's past that were made reference to in The Witching Pen: 1) The moment that Karl turns up on Elena's doorstep having been beaten and 'jumped on' by his father and 2) "The Sex Talk" between Elena and her mother.Book length: short story (over 5500 words)

Caroline thought she had everything figured out. As a member of an elusive cyber-terrorist organization, she believed the root of all mankind's problems lay in modern technology. All that changes when she meets a complex Artificial Intelligence who offers to help her accomplish her goal. As she grows fond of the A.I., she begins to wonder: What does it take to be considered a life form?Caroline thought she had everything figured out. As a member of an elusive cyber-terrorist organization, she believed the root of all mankind's problems lay in the progression modern technology. However, all that changes when she meets a complex Artificial Intelligence named Fillin who offers to help her accomplish her final goal: Humanity's complete disuse of modern technology. As she interacts with Fillin she begins to become attached to it, and she begins to wonder: What does it take to be considered a life form? What line must an intelligent being cross to be truly considered alive? With her own beliefs about technology being brought into question, she continues to fight for her cause. But will she follow through with her final goal and rob Fillin of its own existence, or will she find a new meaning to life at the end of the road?

Ron and Katie think their innocent adventure into the woods will end at a scenic stream, but they are almost swallowed by the forest instead!Ron and Katie think their innocent adventure into the woods will end at a scenic stream, but they are almost swallowed by the forest instead!Ron disappears below the earth, having saved Katie from a similar fate. There he meets some odd creatures whose manners are suspiciously too perfect.Meanwhile, Katie finds herself talking with sprites who seem to put her in more danger, rather than help.Will the two ever be reunited?

It starts in her chest. The change Calliope doesn't see coming. It pulses like a second heartbeat, urging her to give in to the need to be in the depths of the forest. She's compelled to fight the pull, but the more she denies it the stronger it becomes until she finally surrenders and is pulled into a secret world of enchantment.Was I still a human? Gosh, I still wanted to be human. Even just to keep a sliver of whom I thought I was. But as I thought about being human, standing in the shade of the forest, I felt less human than ever. The trees fought for my allegiance."It starts in her chest. The change Calliope doesn't see coming. It pulses like a second heartbeat, urging her to give in to the need to be in the depths of the forest. She's compelled to fight the pull, but the more she denies it the stronger it becomes until she finally surrenders and is pulled into a secret world of enchantment.Kai and Declan need her to accept what she is, but with everything left unsaid, acceptance may be the least of their worries. Knowing their fate lies in her hands, they’ll stop at nothing to protect and prepare her for what lies ahead.Will Calliope be able to accept what Kai and Declan reveal or will her desire to be normal keep her from acknowledging her true destiny?(

Time is running out for the people of Aazronia. Besieged by abominations, Magistrate Marcus flees to the druid homeworld to seek the help of the Druid Mother. He must battle his way past the rabid infestation that blocks his path to safety. As he prepares to retake his home, his only thoughts lie with the thousands of Aazronians that lay dying in their homes.With Magistrate Marcus leading his men as they tried to repel the attackers of his beloved Aazronians, their exhaustion was apparent. Their magic diminished as they weakened through fatigue – the abomination army was strong, but the Aazronians needed to be stronger. As the Magistrate called on the Medallion of Justice around his neck to intensify, it lit up – his Storm Wizard magic was now at its strongest; the arc of electricity which raced through the air headed in the several directions it was needed, doing the necessary eliminations amongst gratifying explosions.As the Wizard Legion rallied around one another, they fought on – they were desperate to protect the portal for as long as they were able. Suddenly Marcus received a mind message from Gwin – they were to return; the portal was to be opened. Marcus led his Legion toward the safety of the Druids – but would they be successful? Would there be more lives lost on their journey?Reviewed by Goodreads. 4 stars."This short story was very enjoyable – a fast paced, action packed piece of writing with lots of creatures, wizards and magic interspersed – a quick and easy read. I have no hesitation in recommending it to lovers of scifi and fantasy." -Brenda