Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father who is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break. Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn't enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he's an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune. Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain? An enchanting new version of the well-known tale, The Orphan's Wish tells a story of courage and loyalty, friendship and love, and reminds us what "family" really means.

1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series! Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.

For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried—some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope, the last apprentice.

The search for survivors continues in this next adventure from bestselling author Jude Watson. The Empire has taken over the galaxy. Anakin Skywalker is now Darth Vader. Most of the Jedi are gone . . . . . . but a few remain. And it is up to former Jedi apprentice Ferus Olin and his streetsmart sidekick Trever to find them. No lead is too big or too small . . . even if it means walking into a trap set by the Empire.

There's a burglar on the loose in Scrubbley! What will happen when he steals one of the Wayward Crescent dragons? Will Grabber become a robber too?

Raven, Marcus and Roelle concoct a plan to smuggle themselves into the Shadow Kingdom Khafra in search of a sorcerous treatise that just might get Raven his human body back. Murphy, his gargoyle companion, Corwin and the palace guards are all on his tail to bring them home before they cause an international Shadow incident.Raven wants his body back. He wants what every teenage boy wants and then some. Not that he isn't grateful for the radical dragon body he inhabits but it does put a serious crimp in his dating style. Especially since his girlfriend is human. So, he's open to any suggestions even if it means he had to smuggle himself into Khafra and find a forgotten arcane manuscript that just might help him get his body back. Too bad they're almost at war with Luke and in the middle of some serious diplomatic maneuvering between Amber and the other shadows.

A DPS technician offers to defect if the Wilizy will rescue his daughter from The Citadel – some super smart military people who are friends with Zzyk. Izzy thinks that their new recruit is an assassin, but Yollie insists that he's a decent man. Can assassins be decent men? It will take a hair-raising experience to find out."Sadie Stories" is a virtual peephole into the lives of the denizens of the idyllic village of Sadie, Connecticut. Focusing primarily on gay teenager Corey Evans, a Seventeen year old import from San Francisco who relocates to the small town after his Mother's untimely death and finds himself a little more than startled at the bizarre reality that encompasses Sadie; a town of perpetual happiness and blissful ignorance regarding anything beyond it's boarders. However, beneath the exterior of perfectly aligned tract houses and well manicured lawns, a delicate web of personal eccentricities, dashed dreams, wounded souls and dark secrets lay quietly in wait. During that last magical summer, on the cusp of adulthood, Corey finds himself an unwitting harbinger of change, as his very presence rocks the very delicate balance they cherish. Treasured friendships are forged and consequentially challenged, the ties that bind families, once thought impenetrable, are torn, and decisions are made that will change the course of lives forever. Chronicling that period in our lives when we each find our crossroads, Sadie Stories offers a unique glimpse into the very real events that mold us as human beings, offering distinctive portrayals of Men and Women, both young and old, from all walks of life- ultimately celebrating the tenacity of the human spirit.

One look was all it took for Neal. One look before she was gone and he was too. Then one day he follows her home and that is only the beginning of the journey that makes him question everything about the nature of his love, life and even reality.One look was all it took for Neal. One look before she was gone and he was too. Then one day he follows her home and that is only the beginning of the journey that makes him question everything about the nature of his love, life and even reality. Bewilder is the first in a series of interweaving Short Stories called 'Diamonds'. A mosaic of ideas and themes dealing with fantasy, reality, love, death, redemption and joy.

To the village of Garoo in the dead of winter came a stranger bearing a baby girl - Amaldea was her name. He left her there, and she grew up in the village, but none welcomed her or treated her as one of their own. Then came her teacher: immortal, inhuman, to teach her to use her powers and gifts. But Garoo is dangerous for those who stand out.As gifted as any of the Old Masters, portrait and landscape painter John Andrews has an extraordinary talent. He also has an extraordinary secret – at almost 600 years old, the reclusive artist now living in England's Lake District is still as youthful as he was back in the 1460s. Born Luca di Stefano in early Renaissance Tuscany, he is apprenticed to the great fresco painter, Piero della Francesca. Luca enjoys perfect health – no disease ever touches him – but as the years pass, he realises that there is something else profoundly mysterious about him: he is not ageing. At sixty, his youthful looks become a threat to his life when a fanatical and over-zealous Church wants him burnt at the stake as an heretic, a servant of the Devil. Fleeing to Naples, he adopts a new identity and starts a new life, the first of many artistic personas through the centuries. But the threat of discovery and its consequences are never far away. Fast forward to 2009 when John Andrews’ DNA is profiled. As the mystery of its full significance is slowly unravelled, John's existence is again threatened: it is not only geneticists who are interested in his incredible DNA, there are others desperate for the secret of John’s longevity who will stop at nothing to get it. And to compound John's problems, an art historian is convinced that he has unmasked a major forger. An international, fast-moving suspense thriller set throughout the world during the past six centuries, Rare Traits interweaves the present and the past, self-preservation and murder, art history and forensic science as it unfolds the tale of the apparently immortal John Andrews. It traces his lovers, his families, his enemies and friends, and above all it traces the challenges he faces in order to survive. For no matter how long he lives, one thing is certain: John can never stop looking over his shoulder.

Maurice the closet monster is an amazing cook, efficient housekeeper, fantastic problem solver, and the best friend anyone could ever have.But nobody really knows what he does all day. Bank robbers, a rare disease, and a visit from a bad-luck pooka are no match for a closet monster with time on his hands. But don’t tell Zoey. She worries. 7,000 wordsMaurice the closet monster is an amazing cook, efficient housekeeper, fantastic problem solver, and the best friend anyone could ever have.But nobody really knows what he does all day. Bank robbers, a rare disease, and a visit from a bad-luck pooka are no match for a closet monster with time on his hands. But don’t tell Zoey. She worries. 7,00 words This story also appears in the short story collection, Transmonstrified.“What Zoey Doesn’t Know” is a short story in the same world as the Monster Haven novels from Carina Press. This story can be enjoyed without having read the novels, but it takes place between book three, Fairies in My Fireplace, and book four, Golem in My Glovebox.

The first time Dun’s world fell apart it came as a shock, much like a snowball hitting an unsuspecting face.Now he finds himself standing once again on the gleaming teeth of a trap set for him. Can he save what is left of his life?Book of magic is the second part of a sword and sorcery series that has all the tropes of high fantasy and fast-paced adventure. The stories are rounded, have independent endings and can be read as standalone shorts. Read together, they make for a longer adventure.This story introduces Dun, an apprentice wizard with unique talents. He returns in part four, The Isles of Krake and the upcoming fifth story Dog’s Blade.1. Sword of the Sands2. Book of Magic3. Sword in the City4. The Isles of Krake5. Dog’s Blade - Expected end of March 2017. Also expected around that time is Swords and Magic; bundle of the first five stories.

Long ago in the county of Orkney there were two towns that faced each other. They were near each other as the crow flies and worlds apart in every other way. Seasons came and went, and each day was as like to the one before as it was to the one after, until because of a child's bauble and a boy's wits and a girl's face it was not so. 25 minute read.Long ago in the county of Orkney there were two towns that faced each other. They were near each other as the crow flies and worlds apart in every other way. Seasons came and went, and each day was as like to the one before as it was to the one after, until because of a child's bauble and a boy's wits and a girl's face it was not so.In this 25 minute read, meet a boy born on the wrong side of the ravine, forced to do something about it, and how Orkney County will never be the same.

When a weird creature the size of a house appears at the end of Timothy's street, his first instinct is to contact the Department of Incidents and Occurrences, even though Doctor Sheehan told him there was no such government department... Originally published in Morpheus Tales magazine.Timothy didn’t know what it was, the thing at the end of Elbow Street. It was big – bigger than a house, he didn’t doubt, if it were to unfurl to its full height – and it was made of something beginning with ‘c’.He didn’t know what it was, the creature at the end of the street, but he suspected it was there because of him.

Seven Threads is a mini-collection to introduce new readers to the work of Australian fantasy author Jason Fischer.Seven Threads is a mini-collection to introduce new readers to the work of Australian fantasy author Jason Fischer. Stories in this collection include the Aurealis Award winning novella "Defy the Grey Kings" and "The House of Nameless", winner of the Writers of the Future contest.Follow these seven threads through Fischer's fantastic worlds, through grim futures, through heroics and heartbreak. Described by reviewers as "an impressive talent" and "a strong new voice with a distinctive vision", these stories of Fischer's are a great sampler and a taste of his unpredictable imagination.“If you haven’t been reading Jason Fischer, your literary diet is lacking in zest, zing, and essential vitamins." - Gardner Dozois, multiple Hugo Award winning editor.

Georgina “George” Trammel is up to her chubby neck in family trouble, and it isn’t even her own family. Her aspiring fiance Alex Brenton now controls the back room of the Stacy Department Store where she works, but some in the family aren’t too thrilled with the idea. They’ll use any excuse to go through with the merger of the company and fire half the employees, and Alex is giving them plenty of ammunition to shoot George and his hopes of saving the store out of the sky. Now they have to race against time, family and a rival department store to save the future of the company. Can they do it? Will Alex finally convince George to marry him? What are they going to do with an entire shipment of live bees?