Whitstead, Harvest 1845Darkness threatens Whitstead as autumn comes. Evil forces are on the move against the town as a whole, but also individual hearts and minds. As Halloween approaches, the veil between worlds thins and demons, vampires, dangerous fae, and madmen are not the only threat—spirits and ghosts loom as well.Love is lost and won. An exiled heir seeks help from dragons. An ancient guardian faces invading peril. Aliens seek lost equipment. A lady helps a ghost fi...

A Whyborne & Griffin short story.Griffin Flaherty wants nothing more than to create a perfect Valentine’s Day for his lover, Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, an evening at the theater, and a romantic interlude at home should do the trick.But a new client with an urgent case puts Griffin’s plans in jeopardy. A magic talisman has been stolen, and if it isn’t returned by sundown, disaster will befall not only on the thief but the innocents...

Twenty curses, old and new, from bestselling fantasy authors such as Neil Gaiman, Christina Henry, M.R. Carey and Charlie Jane Anders.ALL THE BETTER TO READ YOU WITHIt's a prick of blood, the bite of an apple, the evil eye, a wedding ring or a pair of red shoes. Curses come in all shapes and sizes, and they can happen to anyone, not just those of us with unpopular stepparents...Here you'll find unique twists on curses, from fairy tale classics to br...

The classic Goose Girl fairy tale retold in the world of The Twelve Kingdoms as an adult fantasy romance.A dark fairytale retelling of a princess robbed of rank, husband and even her name.Nix is nothing. The Princess Natilde—her former waiting woman—attacked her on the journey to wed Prince Cavan, stripping her of everything and taking her place. With no serving skills, Nix becomes a goose girl. Perhaps if Nix keeps her promise never to reveal who ...

**The bestselling author of The Lake of Dead Languages presents a vivid and atmospheric story of a magical world on the brink of change and the girl who is the catalyst for it all.“A beautifully told fantasy, ripe with magic, forbidden love and unspeakably dark forces . . . a journey well worth taking.”—Kirkus Reviews“A treat for lovers of the gothic.”—Booklist**Welcome to Blythwood.At sixteen, Avaline Hall has already bur...

A dangerously seductive collection of tales that—like the sirens themselves—are impossible to resistSensuality mingles with fantasy in this sultry anthology starring fairies, sphinxes, werewolves, and other beings by masterful storytellers including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Ellen Kushner, and more. Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers features a vampire who falls in love with her human prey, an updated Red Riding Hood fantasy, an unsuspecting y...

**An outstanding array—****52 pieces in all—**of selected fiction from the multiple-award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, introduced with a foreword by Booker Prize-winning author Marlon JamesSpanning Gaiman’s career to date, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is a captivating collection from one of the world’s most beloved writers.A brilliant representation of Gaiman's groundbreaking, entrancing, ...

Two years after Snowspelled, on the eve of the Winter Solstice, Cassandra Harwood faces one of her most ambitious challenges yet: juggling holiday celebrations for all of her students, a nerve-wracking visit from her intimidating parents-in-law, all of the usual fey and human chaos at Thornfell College of Magic for Young Women - and an un-missable personal anniversary for her and her husband, the brilliant magician Rajaram Wrexham.Luckily, Cassandra has never lack...

The powerful story of a young girl who stands accused of being a witch.Forced to leave her home and family and flee from an angry mob, Carmelia finds herself in the forest alone, frightened and cold. Carmelia also finds an iner strength that she didnt know she had.She outruns the mob who is hell bent on burning her only to succumb to fatigue and fever before she reaches her aunts house. As she lays down her head unable to go on she passes into a deep slumber.When she wakens...

Children are the glue ...that holds a society together......but not all children are born to fortunate times. And not all children bring joy.Calamity's Child introduces two children of mischance and explores the ways in which they changed the world around them.In "Sweet Waters," a Liaden survey pilot discovers a planetary tragedy, only to have it take on a decidedly personal flavor when his ship crash-lands and he must make his way in a doomed culture....

The Witches - Will you DARE read it?

25 chilling short stories by outstanding female writers.Women have always written exceptional stories of horror and the supernatural. This anthology aims to showcase the very best of these, from Amelia B. Edwards's 'The Phantom Coach', published in 1864, through past luminaries such as Edith Wharton and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, to modern talents including Muriel Gray, Sarah Pinborough and Lilith Saintcrow.From tales of ghostly children to visitations by depa...